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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


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THE    LIVES 


0  F 


EMINENT  METHODIST  MINISTERS; 


CONTAINING 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES,  INCIDENTS   ANECDOTES, 
RECORDS  OF  TRAVEL,  REFLECTIONS,  &o.  &c. 


™         BY 

REV.  P.  DOUGLASS  GOMIE, 

ACTHOE    OF    "the    CHURCHES   AND    SECTS    OF   THE   UNITED   STATES," 
"EPISCOPAL   METHODISM,    AS    IT   WAS,    AND    IS,"    ETC. 


AUBURN    AND    BUFFALO: 
MILLER,    ORTON    &    MULLIGAN. 

1855. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1852, 
BY    DERBY    &    MILLER, 
n  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  Northern  District  of  Now  York. 


^ 


8TERE0TTPEB   BT 

THOMAS  B.  SMITH, 
216  William  St.,  N.Y 


PREFACE.    , 

Were  it  not  tliat  a  Preface  seems  to  be  considered 
as  almost  indispensable  to  tlie  existence  of  a  book  at 
the  present  time,  the  author  would  feel  an  inclination 
to  let  this  work  go  to  press  without  the  usual  prefatory- 
introduction  ;  but  as  custom  is  law,  he  must  bow  to  its 
mandates,  and  detain  the  reader  from  the  perusal  of  the 
body  of  the  work  long  enough  to  inform  him,  that  the 
preparation,  compilation,  abridgment,  or  whatever  else 
the  reader  may  please  to  denominate  the  following 
sketches,  has  required  the  author  to  examine  a  large 
number  of  different  biographical  works,  such  as  "Lives," 
"  Memoirs,"  "  Journals,"  &c.  &c.  This  examination, 
although  somewhat  laborious,  has,  nevertheless,  been 
pleasing,  as  it  has  been  the  means  of  refreshing  his 
memory  in  regard  to  many  incidents  almost  forgotten, 
as  well  as  putting  him  in  possession  of  facts  never  before 
known  to  him.  The  labor  of  preparing  this  work,  how- 
ever, has  been  greatly  enhanced,  from  the  fact  that  no 


iv  PREFACE. 

published  "Life,"  or  "Memoir,"  of  several  of  the  emi- 
nent men  whose  biographies  are  briefly  sketched  there- 
in, has  ever  been  given  to  the  public.  This  is  especially 
true  of  Bishops  Asbury,  McKendree,  Whatcoat,  and 
George,  and  of  Dr.  Olin,  recently  deceased.  While, 
therefore,  much  ground  has  necessarily  been  gone  over, 
the  author  hopes  that  this  attempt  to  embody  in  a  con- 
venient form  the  leading  events  in  the  history  of  the 
great  lights  of  Methodism^  will  not  be  unappreciated  by 
a  candid  and  liberal-minded  public. 

It  is  proper,  also,  to  observe,  that  in  some  cases,  there 
has  been  a  great  paucity  of  materials  necessary  to  give 
even  the  brief  and  imperfect  sketch  connected  with  the 
names  of  some  of  the  subjects  in  this  book.  On  the 
other  hand,  in  regard  to  the  greater  part  of  them,  there 
has  been  no  lack  of  materials ;  and  the  only  difficulty 
has  been  to  make  a  proper  selection  of  the  numerous 
facts  and  incidents  found  in  the  written  Lives  and  Me- 
moirs of  those  great  men.  One  object  the  author  has 
had  in  view, — to  make  the  work  interesting,  and  profit- 
able. To  accomplish  these  objects,  varkty  was  thought 
to  be  necessary ;  hence,  the  reader  who  deigns  to  pe- 
ruse this  work,  will  find  many  interesting  and  instruct- 
ive anecdotes  interspersed  through  its  pages,  and  what 
is  perhaps  of  more  importance,  he  will  learn  something 
of  the  self-denial  practised,  and  the  sacrifices  made,  by 
the  leading  ministers  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  Eu- 
rope and  America. 


PREFACE.  T 

In  relation  to  the  autliorities  consulted,  it  is  only 
necessary  to  observe,  that  they  are  those  who  have  re- 
ceived the  sanction  of  the  Church,  except  in  a  few 
cases,  and  that  the  facts  and  incidents  given,  may  be 
considered  authentic.  Justice,  however,  requires  that 
we  should  in  this  connection  make  particular  mention  of 
Bangs'  "  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church," 
a  work  which,  the  more  we  read  and  refer  to,  we  learn 
to  prize  more  and  more,  and  to  which,  on  more  oc- 
casions than  one,  we  have  acknowledged  our  indebted- 
ness. 

The  style  of  the  Avork,  so  far  as  composition  is  con- 
cerned, will  be  found  to  be  somewhat  various  in  differ- 
ent chapters.  This  is  owing  partly  to  the  fact  that  the 
authorities  consulted,  have  written  in  a  great  variety  of 
style,  and  although  the  author  has  not — except  in  a  few 
instances — copied  the  exact  words  of  these  authorities, 
unless  in  the  form  of  quotations,  yet  as  he  drank  into 
the  spirit  of  the  narrative,  he  has  no  doubt  in  some 
cases  been  governed  in  the  style,  by  that  to  which  his 
attention  at  the  moment  was  directed.  Further :  the 
comprehensiveness  of  our  plan,  forbade  the  use  of  an 
^legant  or  flowing  style,  to  which  the  author  under  any 
circumstances  could  seldom  lay  claim  ;  his  object  in  the 
present  instance  has  been  to  give  facts^  not  figures  of 
speech;  to  present  a  concise  account  of  the  more  im- 
portant events  in  the  history  of  his  subjects,  and  to  in- 
duce the  reader  by  a  bare  and  ungarnished  statement 


Vl  PREFACE. 

of  facts,  to  copy,  as  far  as  possible,  the  example  of  these 
holy  men,  that  a  more  intimate  acquaintance  may  be 
cultivated  with  them  in  that  "better  country"  where 
"  there  shall  be  no  more  death." 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  L 

FAGE 

REV.  JOHN   WESLEY,    A.M »       •  ^ 


CHAPTER  II. 

REV.  CHARLES   WESLEY,  A.M 29 

CHAPTER  III. 

REV.  JOHN  W.    FLETCHER,  A.M 50 

CHAPTER  IV. 

REV.  JOSEPH    BENSON 70 

CHAPTER  V. 

REV.  THOMAS    COKE,  LL.D 85 

CHAPTER  yi. 

REV.  ADAM    CLARKE,  LL.D.,  F.A.S 107 

CHAPTER  VII. 

REV.  RICHARD   WATSON 136 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

REV.  GIDEON    OUSELEY 159 


via  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

PAOB 

REV.  BISHOP    ASBURY 187 


CHAPTER  X. 

KEV.  BISHOP    WHATCOAT 212 

CHAPTER  XI. 

EEV.  JESSE    LEE 224 

CHAPTER  XII. 

REV.  BENJAMIN    ABBOTT 249 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

REV.  BISHOP    M'KENDREE 271 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

REV.  BISHOP    GEORGE 294 

CHAPTER  XV. 

REV.  BISHOP    ROBERTS 312 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

REV.  BISHOP    EMORY,    D.D 339 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

REV.  WILLUM   FISK,    D.D 360 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

EEV.  STEPHEN    OLIN,   D.D.,  LL.D 383 


LIVES  OF  EMINENT  MINISTERS. 


^^■M^ 


CHAPTER  I. 

REV.  JOHN  WESLEY,    A.M. 

One  of  the  greatest  lights  of  the  eighteenth  century  arose 
to  bless  and  enlighten  the  Christian  world  in  the  person  of 
John  Wesley,  the  father  and  founder  of  that  wonderful  sys- 
tem of  religious  faith  and  practice  denominated  Methodism  : 
a  system,  the  principles  of  which  have  obtained  a  lodgment 
in  the  hearts  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  believers,  who  have 
left  the  Church  militant  and  have  fled  upward  to  join  the 
Church  triumphant,  and  of  millions  who  are  still  on  earth 
fighting  by  faith  their  passage  to  the  skies. 

John  Wesley  was  born  in  the  parish  of  Epworth,  Lincoln- 
shire, Eng.,  in  the  year  1703.  His  father,  Samuel  Wesley, 
sen.,  was  rector  of  the  parish,  and  was  a  man  of  great  moral 
worth,  and  of  extensive  literary  attainments.  His  mother, 
Mrs.  Susanna  Wesley,  was  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Samuel 
Annesly,  and  was  a  woman  of  strong  powers  of  mind,  and 
suitable  in  every  way  to  be  the  nursing  mother  of  the  future 
religious  reformer.  Mrs.  Wesley  was  the  instructress  of  her 
children  in  early  life,  she  having  a  bad  opinion  of  the  com- 
mon method  of  instructing  and  governing  children,  preferred 
to  retain  them  under  her  own  immediate  control  and  govern- 


10  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

ment,  until  they  were  of  a  suitable  age  to  send  to  school, 
where  the  higher  branches  were  taught.  She  was  led  provi- 
dentially to  pay  particular  attention  to  the  intellectual  and 
religious  instruction  of  John,  who,  when  at  the  age  of  six, 
was  the  subject  of  a  fortunate  escape  from  death  by  burning, 
while  asleep  in  an  upper  chamber  of  the  parsonage  house, 
which  was  consumed  by  fire.  This  incident  led  the  mother 
to  increased  anxiety  for  the  soul  of  her  child,  whom  God  had 
so  mercifully  and  providentially  delivered  from  the  devouring 
flame.  The  effect  of  her  increased  anxiety  was  such,  that 
John  became  very  seriously  disposed,  and  at  the  age  of  eight 
years  was  admitted  by  his  father  to  the  sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper.  At  the  age  of  eleven  he  was  consigned  to 
the  care  of  Dr.  Walker,  Head-Master  of  the  "  Charter  House," 
where  he  remained  imtil  his  seventeenth  year,  when  he  en- 
tered Christ's  Church  College,  Oxford  University,  and  pur- 
sued his  studies  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Wigan,  a  gentleman 
of  great  classical  knowledge.  While  under  this  gentleman's 
instructions  he  became  still  more  serious,  and  applied  himself 
closely  to  the  study  of  divinity,  preparatory  to  taking  deacon's 
orders  in  the  established  church.  In  1725  he  was  ordained 
deacon,  and  in  the  following  year  was  elected  Fellow  of  Lin- 
coln College.  During  the  same  year  he  was  chosen  Greek 
Lecturer  and  Moderator  of  the  classes,  and  in  1727  took  his 
well-earned  degree  of  Master  of  Arts,  and  shortly  afterwards 
obtained  priest's  orders  at  the  hands  of  the  Bishop  of  Oxford. 
Prior  to  his  ordination  as  priest  he  became  the  curate  of  his 
father  in  Epworth,  which  important  relation  he  sustained 
with  great  acceptability  for  nearly  two  years,  until  he  was 
summoned  by  the  Rector  of  his  College  to  return  to  Oxford, 
which  he  did  in  1729,  and  became  the  tutor  and  moderator 
of  several  classes. 

During  his  temporary  absence  at  Epworth,  his   brother 
Charles,  who  had  also  become  a  student  at  Oxford,  had 


JOHN   WESLEY.  11 

formed  a  small  society  in  College  of  seriously  disposed  per- 
sons for  the  purpose  of  mutual  improvement.  Although 
strictly  moral  and  upright,  Charles  possessed  a  lively  dispo- 
sition, so  much  so  that  he  lost  his  first  year  in  College  by  di- 
versions ;  his  second  year  was  spent  in  study ;  and  diligence  in 
study  led  him  to  serious  thinking,  and  to  the  practice  of 
weekly  communion,  which  he  strictly  attended  to,  in  company 
with  two  or  three  others.  This  course  of  conduct  gained  for 
Charles  and  his  associates  the  name  of  Methodist,  a  term 
which  was  not  unknown  in  England  before  that  time,  as  for 
many  years  previously  this  name  had  been  used  to  distinguish 
the  Nonconformists,  and  other  classes  of  religious  dissenters. 

On  John  Wesley's  return  to  Oxford,  he  at  once  identified 
himself  with  the  little  band,  who  had  now  become  the  objects 
of  derision  and  persecution  to  the  more  volatile  and  less  reg- 
ular of  the  College  students.  In  consequence  of  his  superior 
age  and  literary  attainments,  he  became  the  head  of  this 
small  society,  and  thus  unconsciously  to  himself,  was  God 
preparing  him  for  the  great  work  of  sineading  Scriptural 
holiness  over  the  land.  During  this  time,  however,  John 
Wesley  and  his  Methodist  companions  were  not  Christians 
in  the  proper  sense  of  that  word.  They  had  not  attained  to 
saving,  justifying  faith.  Indeed  it  is  doubtful  whether  they 
had  ever  supposed  such  a  degree  of  faith  to  be  possible,  or  the 
result  of  such  faith — peace  with  God — to  be  attainable  in 
this  life.  Yet  they  were  sincere  inquirers  after  truth,  and 
God  was  leading  them  in  a  way  which  they  as  yet  "knew 
not,"  to  the  knowledge  of  sin  forgiven,  and  the  blessings  of  a 
pure  and  perfect  salvation.  The  sincerity  of  their  intentions 
led  them  to  improve  every  opportunity  of  doing  good  to  their 
fellow-men.  Hence  all  their  spare  time  was  employed  in 
visiting  those  who  were  sick,  or  in  prison,  and  all  their  spare 
funds  were  employed  in  relieving  the  wants  of  the  poor  and 
needy.     The  more  faithful  they  became  in  the  improvement 


12  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

of  their  time  and  talents,  the  more  fiercely  did  the  fires  of 
persecution  rage,  until  at  length  the  most  of  those  composing 
the  little  band  of  Methodists  became  discouraged  and  retired, 
leaving  the  two  brothers  to  stand  almost  entirely  alone.  They 
were,  however,  greatly  encouraged  by  their  father,  who  ex- 
horted them  to  perseverance.  In  1735  he  died,  leaving  them 
-his  blessing,  and  departing  in  the  triumphs  of  that  faith 
which  his  sons  in  after  life  wore  the  honored  instruments  of 
difiiTsing  more  extensively  throughout  the  world. 

Shortly  after  the  death  of  the  elder  Wesley,  John  and 
Charles  received  a  call  to  go  to  Georgia  in  North  America, 
as  Missionaries.  In  obedience  to  this  call,  they  embarked  on 
shipboard,  and  in  February,  1736,  reached  their  field  of 
labor  in  the  western  M'orld.  Here,  too,  persecution  awaited 
them,  and  after  spending  a  few  months  in  Frederica,  Charles 
returned  to  England  as  the  bearer  of  despatches  from  Governor 
Oglethorpe  to  the  trustees  of  the  Colony.  John,  however,  re- 
mained at  his  post  until  the  winter  of  1737,  when  in  conse- 
c[uence  of  the  illiberal  and  uncharitable  conduct  of  the  colonists, 
he  hastened  his  departure  from  the  scene  of  strife,  and  arrived 
in  England  in  February,  1738.  Although  his  mission  to 
Georgia  did  not  secure  those  immediate  results  which  he  had 
anticipated,  yet  it  proved  the  means  of  bringing  John  Wesley 
to  the  knowledge  of  justification  by  faith.  On  the  passage  to 
Georgia,  Mr.  Wesley  found  a  company  of  pious  Moravians  on 
board,  and  he  particularly  noticed  during  the  prevalence  of  a 
tremendous  storm,  the  calm  serenity  and  composure  manifested 
by  these  Moravians  while  expecting  every  moment  to  find  a 
watery  grave,  while  he  himself  was  the  subject  of  the  most 
distressing  fears.  After  the  storm  had  subsided,  he  inquired 
the  cause  of  so  much  composure,  and  he  learned  to  his 
astonishment,  that  there  is  a  degree  of  faith  and  love,  which 
'  Ca&tetli  out  fear.''  By  subsequent  intercourse  Avith  these 
unassuming  Christians,  he  became  better  acquainted  with  tho 


JOHN    WESLEY.  13 

way  of  salvation  by  faith,  and  of  the  necessity  of  being  per- 
sonally horn  again,  before  he  could  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  God.  Hence,  after  his  return  to  England,  he  exclaimed  in 
the  bitterness  of  his  spirit,  "  I  went  to  America  to  convert  the 
Indians;  but  0,  who  shall  convert  me?"  "I  who  went  to 
America  to  com'-ert  others,  was  never  converted  myself" 

Shortly  after  uttering  the  above  language,  he  met  with 
Peter  Bohler,  a  minister  of  the  Moravian  Church,  to  whom 
he  opened  his  heart,  and  from  him  he  received  such  instruc- 
tion in  regard  to  the  nature  and  exercise  of  justifying  faith, 
as  led  him  on  the  24th  day  of  May  following,  to  believe  on 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  with  all  his  heart.  And  in  describing 
the  change  which  was  wrought  in  him,  as  the  result  of  such 
faith,  he  says  :  "  I  felt  my  heart  strangely  warmed,  I  felt  I 
did  trust  in  Christ,  Christ  alone  for  salvation,  and  an  assurance 
was  given  me,  that  he  had  taken  away  my  sins,  even  mine, 
and  saved  me  from  the  law  of  sin  and  death." 

The  conversion  of  John  Wesley  was  indeed  an  important 
event  in  the  history  of  his  life,  as  from  this  time  that  laborious 
and  successful  ministry  was  commenced  which  immediately 
was  rendered  a  blessing  to  thousands,  and  remotely  to  millions 
of  the  fallen  race  of  Adam.  At  the  time  when  the  Apostle 
of  Methodism  began  his  ministry  as  a  converted  man,  the 
English  nation  was  enveloped  by  a  dark,  dense  cloud  of 
ignorance  and  superstition.  The  clergy  of  the  established 
Church  were  awfully  corrupt  and  profligate.  Horse-racing 
cock-fighting,  card-playing,  hunting  and  drinking  were  common 
among  the  clergy  ;  and  as  no  people  can  ever  be  expected 
to  be  farther  advanced  in  knowledge  and  morals  than  their 
religious  teachers,  we  may  infer  that  if  such  was  the  state  of 
the  priesthood,  the  laity  must  have  been  in  a  still  more 
deplorable  condition.  It  is  in  fact  asserted  on  good  authority 
that  the  only  form  of  prayer  taught  by  many  of  the  English 


14  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

peasantry  to  their  children,  was  the  one  handed  down  from 
their  popish  ancestors,  beginning  with  these  words, 

"  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John, 
Bless  the  bed  that  I  lie  on,"  &c., 

while  vice  of  every  kind,  and  wickedness  of  every  degree, 
prevailed  to  an  alarming  extent  among  all  classes,  high  and 
low,  rich  and  poor.  Such  was  the  state  of  morals  and  religion 
when  Wesley  began  his  evangelical  labors  in  England. 

After  his  conversion,  Mr.  Wesley  took  occasion  to  spend  a 
few  weeks  at  a  Moravian  settlement  in  Germany,  and  having 
learned  still  more  perfectly  the  nature  and  effects  of  justifying 
faith,  he  returned  to  England  and  at  once  began  the  impor- 
tant work  of  calling  upon  sinners  to  repent  and  believe. 
London  was  the  scene  of  his  first  labors.  In  this  city,  large 
multitudes  went  to  hear  him.  The  churches  at  first  were 
generally  open  to  receive  him,  but  his  earnestness,  zeal,  and 
boldness  soon  gave  ofi^ence  to  the  lukewarm  indolent  clergy- 
men, and  soon  the  Churches,  one  after  another,  were  closed 
against  him.  He,  hbwever,  was  at  no  loss  for  places  wherein 
to  preach,  as  a  private  room  or  public  hall  would  frequently 
afford  ample  accommodation.  From  London  he  went  to  Oxford, 
and  in  reference  to  both  places  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  in- 
forming his  friends  in  Germany  and  Scotland,  that  multitudes 
were  ciying,  "  What  must  we  do  to  be  saved  ?"  He  shortly 
after  visited  Bristol,  and  for  the  finst  time,  preached  in  the 
open  air  to  a  congregation  of  more  than  two  thousand  people. 
Preaching  in  the  open  air  was  a  new  thing  to  Mr.  Wesley, 
and  seemed  at  first  to  be  entirely  irregular  and  improper,  and 
it  was  only  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  his  friend,  Rev. 
George  Whitefield,  and  after  having  witnessed  the  eflects  pro- 
duced by  the  preaching  of  the  latter  under  similar  circumstances, 
that  he  so  far  overcame  his  high  church  views  of  propriety, 


JOHN    WESLEY.  15 

as  to  commence  this  method  of  preaching  Jesus  Christ  to  the 
outcasts  of  the  nation. 

In  the  latter  end  of  the  year  1739,  Mr.  Wesley  formed  the 
first  Methodist  Society  in  London.  The  formation  of  this 
Society  was  the  beginning,  the  germ,  of  that  large  and 
extensive  connection  which  has  since  spread  itself  over  England, 
Ireland,  America,  and  other  parts  of  the  world.  At  first 
they  appear  to  have  met  in  connection  with  the  Moravians,  in 
a  place  called  "Fetter  Lane,"  but  during  the  next  year — 
1740 — they  dissolved  all  connection  with  the  Moravians,  and 
met  by  themselves  in  a  place  called  the  "  Foundry."  The 
whole  number  of  Methodists  at  this  period,  was  seventy-two. 
Mr.  Wesley,  however,  did  not  confine  his  labors  to  London, 
but  adopting  the  itinerant  mode  of  preaching,  he  visited 
Bristol,  Kingwood,  and  other  places,  where  his  labors  were 
greatly  blessed,  and  where  large  Societies  were  speedily 
organized.  As  his  Societies  increased,  it  became  necessary 
that  certain  rules  should  be  adopted  for  the  government  of 
the  members  thereof  Hence  in  1743,  Mr.  Wesley  drew  up 
a  set  of  rules  which  he  called  the  "  Rules  of  the  United 
Societies,"  which  rules  have  always  been  retained  in  the 
discipline  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  Europe  and  America, 
with  scarcely  any  variation.  For  the  better  government  of 
his  Societies,  he  divided  them  into  smaller  companies  called 
classes,  composed  of  about  twelve  members,  each  of  which  he 
placed  under  the  special  charge  of  one  of  their  number,  who 
was  denominated  the  "  Leader,"  and  whose  duty  it  was  to  see 
each  member  of  his  class  once  a  week,  in  order  to  inquire 
into  their  spiritual  prosperity,  and  to  comfort,  reprove,  and 
exhort  as  occasion  might  require. 

The  increase  of  Societies  called  for  an  increase  of  laborers, 
but  with  the  exception  of  his  brother  Charles,  and  a  few  of 
the  Clergy  of  the  established  Church  who  assisted  him  from 
time  to  time,  Mr.  Wesley  had  the  care  of  all  the  Societies 


16  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

resting  upon  himself.  This  state  of  things  made  it  necessary 
for  Mr.  Wesley  to  employ  several  lay  preachers  to  assist  him 
in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  although  strongly  remon- 
strated with  upon  the  subject  by  his  brother  Charles,  yet  as 
Providence  seemed  to  open  the  way,  he  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  authorized  a  number  of  persons — who  appeared  to  be 
well  qualified  for  the  work — to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  take 
charge  of  certain  Societies  in  his  absence.  We  have  said  that 
Providence  seemed  to  open  the  way  for  the  employment  of 
lay  preachers.  It  was  on  this  wise.  As  Mr.  Wesley  was 
about  leaving  London,  intending  to  be  absent  for  some  months, 
he  left  the  London  Society  in  the  care  of  a  young  man  by  the 
name  of  Maxfield,  with  directions  to  meet  them,  and  pray  with, 
and  advise  them,  as  occasion  might  require.  After  being  ab- 
sent a  short  time  he  heard,  to  his  utter  astonishment,  that  Mr. 
Maxfield  had  begun  to  preach.  He  hastened  back  to  London 
to  put  an  immediate  stop  to  the  irregularity,  but  before  he  had 
silenced  the  young  man,  his  mother,  Mrs.  Wesley,  accosted 
him  with  these  words,  "  John,  take  care  what  you  do  with 
respect  to  that  young  man,  for  he  is  as  surely  called  of  God 
to  preach  as  you  ar6 ;  hear  him  yourself"  He  wisely  took  her 
advice,  and  did  not  venture  to  forbid  his  preaching.  In  this 
manner  was  the  Head  of  the  Church  raising  up  and  sending 
forth  laborers  into  his  vineyard. 

The  preaching  of  Wesley  was  attended  by  the  divine 
unction.  Hundreds  of  the  hascr  sort,  when  they  had  heard, 
believed,  were  converted,  and  became  sober,  pious,  praying 
people  ;  but  many  others  being  stirred  up  by  clergymen  and 
magistrates  to  the  commission  of  such  unholy  deeds,  waged  a 
war  of  persecution  against  Mr.  Wesley  and  his  preachers,  and 
of  extermination  against  all  who  bore  the  name  of  Methodist, 
The  mere  recital  of  the  bloody  persecutions  endured  by  Mr. 
Wesley  and  his  followers  in  the  earlier  days  of  Methodism  is 
sufficient  to  cause  the  cheek  of  Christianity  to  blush,  as  it  no 


JOHN    WESLEY.  l7 

doubt  caused  devils  to  rejoice,  if  such  a  thing  were  possible 
Mr.  Wesley  on  several  occasions  barely  escaped  with  his  life 
from  the  iiiry  of  the  mob,  who  were  in  most  instances,  as  be- 
fore related,  incited  to  such  acts  of  cruelty  by  the  clergymen 
and  magistrates  of  the  parish  ;  and  it  was  only  by  the  direct 
interference  of  the  reigning  king,  George  III.,  that  the  storm 
of  persecution  was  stayed,  and  religious  liberty  to  the  Metho- 
dists secured. 

Mr.  Wesley  did  not,  however,  satisfy  himself  merely  with 
travelling  and  preaching.  He  began  the  work  of  printing, 
and  circulating  tracts  and  books  among  the  people.  Of  the 
former  he  had  "  A  Word  to  a  Swearer,"  "  A  Word  to  a  Sabbath 
Breaker,"  "  A  Word  to  a  Smuggler,"  "  A  Word  to  a  Drunk- 
ard," "  A  Word  to  a  Street  Walker,"  "  A  Word  to  a  Male- 
factor," &c.  By  these  little  silent  messengers  he  reached  the 
eyes  and  hearts  of  many  to  whose  ears  he  could  not  gain  ac- 
cess, and  in  this  way  accomplished  much  good. 

In  the  year  1*744  Mr.  Wesley  invited  his  preachers,  who 
were  laboring  in  different  parts  of  England,  to  meet  him  in 
London  for  the  purpose  of  conferring  with  them  in  relation  to 
the  work  of  God,  as  progressing  under  their  labors  and  super- 
intendence. This  was  the  first  conference,  and  was  composed 
of  but  a  few  persons,  but  was  found  to  result  so  favorably, 
that  these  meetings  "were  held  annually  ever  after,  during  Mr. 
Wesley's  lifetime,  and  have  also  been  held  thus  after  until 
the  present  time. 

In  1747  Mr.  Wesley  visited  Ireland  for  the  first  time.  He 
went  to  Dublin,  where  Methodism  had  already  been  intro- 
duced by  one  of  his  preachers.  He  preached  to  large  congre- 
gations, and  after  a  short  time  returned  again  to  England, 
and  made  arrangements  with  his  brother  Charles  to  proceed 
to  Ireland,  which  he  did  shortly  after,  and  spent  several 
months  in  Dublin,  Cork,  and  other  cities  of  the  Emerald  Isle. 

Up  to  the  year  1750,  Mr.  Wesley  remained  unmarried 

2 


18  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

In  the  latter  year  he  was  united  to  a  widow  lady  of  inde- 
pendent fortune,  and  of  cultivated  understanding,  but  the 
union  did  not  prove  an  auspicious  one,  as  the  lady  appears  to 
have  possessed  a  disposition  of  the  jealous  kind,  which  drove 
her  to  the  most  unwarrantable  actions,  and  which  resulted  in 
their  final  separation,  after  an  unpleasant  union  of  twenty 
years.  This  sorrowful  fact  Mr.  Wesley  notices  in  his  jour- 
nal, and  briefly  adds,  "  I  did  not  forsake  her,  I  did  not  dismiss 
her,  I  will  not  recall  her."  Justice  to  his  memory  requires 
us  to  state  that  even  his  enemies  acquitted  him  of  all  blame 
in  the  matter.  It  is  true  that  at  the  time  of  the  separation 
strong  efforts  were  made  by  the  lady  to  prejudice  the  public 
mind  against  him,  and  Mr.  Wesley's  friends  urged  him  to  de- 
fend his  reputation  against  her  calumnies,  but  his  reply  was, 
"  When  I  devoted  to  God  my  ease,  my  time,  my  life,  did  I 
except  my  reputation  ?  No  I"  He  consequently  allowed  the 
lady  to  pursue  her  own  course,  and  that  Being  to  whom  he 
had  devoted  his  all  took  care  of  his  reputation  in  this  matter. 

In  1753  Mr.  Wesley  visited  Scotland  for  the  second  time, 
and  in  Glasgow  he  preached  to  large  congi'egations.  He  was 
generally  received'  by  the  Scotch  with  great  respect,  notwith- 
standing their  known  attachment  to  Calvinism  and  Presby- 
terianism.  The  greatest  obstacle  Mr.  Wesley  and  his  preach- 
ers appear  to  have  met  with  in  the  introduction  of  Methodism 
into  Scotland,  was  in  regard  to  the  use  of  hymns,  instead  of 
the  old  "  Psalms  of  David  in  Metre,"  to  which  the  Scotch 
were,  and  still  are  greatly  attached.  Many  Societies,  how- 
ever, have  been  raised  up  in  different  parts  of  Scotland,  in 
which  the  pure  Wesleyan  hymns  are  used  with  great  delight 
by  the  worshippers. 

After  Mr.  Wesley's  return  from  Scotland  he  was  taken  ill 
with  symptoms  of  pulmonary  consu'ijption.  By  the  advice  of 
his  physician,  he  retired  from  active  labor,  and  supposing  that 
he  would  jprobably  soon  be  called  from  his  work  on  earth,  he 


JOHN    WESLEY.  19 

prepared  his  own  epitaph,  which,  in  case  of  death,  he  ordered 
to  be  placed  upon  his  tomb.  He  also  received  a  tender  fare- 
well letter  from  his  friend  Rev.  George  Whitefield,  in  which 
the  latter  expresses  the  sincerest  attachment  for  his  afflicted 
brother,  and  informs  him,  that  if  prmjers  can  detain  him, 
"  even  you,  Rev.  and  very  dear  sir,  shall  not  leave  us  yet." 
These  prayers  did  detain  him  ;  his  work  was  not  yet  com- 
pleted, and  in  due  time  his  health  was  completely  restored. 
During  his  illness  he  spent  most  of  his  time  in  reading,  and  in 
writing  his  "  Notes  on  the  New  Testament." 

In  the  year  1766,  Methodism  was  introduced  into  America 
by  two  local  preachers  from  Ireland — Embury  and  Straw- 
bridge — and  through  their  instrumentality,  Societies  were 
organized  in  New  York  and  Maryland.  Mr.  Wesley  being 
anxious  to  provide  more  fully  for  the  spiritual  wants  of  his 
children  in  America,  sent  over  in  1769,  the  missionaries — 
Messrs.  Board  man  and  Pilmore — to  take  the  charge  of  the 
Societies  already  formed,  and  to  raise  up  and  organize  others. 
As  Societies  still  continued  to  increase  in  the  AVestern  world, 
other  missionaries  were  sent  over  from  time  to  time,  until  at 
length,  in  1784,  after  the  North  American  Colonies  had  be- 
come independent  of  the  mother  country,  Mr.  Wesley  sol- 
emly  set  apart  the  Rev.  Thomas  Coke,  Doctor  of  Law^s,  to  the 
important  office  of  Superintendent  of  all  the  Societies  in  North 
America.  He  also  empowered  him  to  set  apart  Francis  As- 
bury,  one  of  the  missionaries  who  had  preceded  Dr.  Coke,  as 
Joint  Superintendent,  and  gave  directions  for  the  organization 
of  these  Societies  into  an  independent  Episcopal  Church,  all 
of  which  directions  Dr.  Coke  faithfully  attended  to  on  his 
arrival  in  America,  and  the  result  of  such  provision  made  by 
Mr.  Wesley  for  his  infant  Societies,  in  an  infant  nation,  may 
be  seen  in  the  unparalleled  success,  and  the  gradual  progress 
of  the  latter  in  population  and  strength.* 

♦  It  is  more  than  probable  that  if  the  Bishops  of  the  Church  of 


20  LIVES    OF    EMINEKT    MINISTERS. 

While  Methodism  was  thus  gaining  a  firm  foothold  in 
America,  Mr.  Wesley  continued  his  self-denying  labors  in 
England ;  thousands  in  different  parts  of  the  kingdom  were 
converted  to  God,  and  it  is  a  satisfaction  to  know,  that  these 

England  had  provided  for  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  people  in  Amer- 
ica, the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  as  an  independent  branch,  never 
would  have  been  formed — at  least,  by  the  sanction  of  Mr.  Wesley  ;  but 
the  gross  and  culpable  negligence  of  the  English  episcopacy  in  this 
respect,  rendered  it  absolutely  necessary  that  Mr.  "Wesley  should  pro- 
vide for  these  '•  sheep  in  the  wilderness,"  in  some  other  way.  In  1780, 
when  the  Methodists  in  America  were  raising  the  Macedonian  cry  for 
the  ordinances  of  the  church,  and  were  calling  on  Mr.  Wesley,  as  their 
spiritual  father,  to  send  some  one  "  over  and  help"  them,  the  latter 
requested  the  Bishop  of  London  to  ordain  a  young  man  of  unexcep- 
tionable character  and  abilitj',  for  that  work.  This,  his  lordship  re- 
fused to  do,  which  refusal  called  forth  the  following  letter  from  Mr. 
Wesley  to  that  bishop,  under  date  of  August  10,  1780. 

"  My  Lord, 

"  Some  time  since  I  received  your  lordship's  favor,  for  which  I  re- 
turn your  lordship  my  sincere  thanks.  Those  persons  did  not  apply 
to  the  Society  (for  Propagating  Christian  Knowledge),  because  they 
had  nothing  to  ask  pf  them.  They  wanted  no  salary  for  their  minis- 
ter :  they  were  themselves  able  and  willing  to  maintain  him.  They 
therefore  applied  by  me  to  your  lordship,  as  members  of  the  Church 
of  England,  and  desirous  so  to  continue,  begging  the  favor  of  your 
lordship,  after  your  lordship  had  examined  him,  to  ordain  a  pious 
man,  who  might  officiate  as  their  minister. 

"  But  your  lordship  observes,  '  There  are  three  ministers  in  that 
country,  already '  True,  my  lord  :  but  what  are  these  to  watch  over 
all  the  souls  in  that  extensive  country  1  Will  your  lordship  permit 
mc  to  speak  freely  1  I  dare  not  do  otherwise.  I  am  on  the  verge  of 
the  grave,  and  I  know  not  the  moment  when  I  shall  drop  into  it. 
Suppose  there  were  threescore  of  those  missionaries  in  the  country — 
could  I  in  conscience  recommend  those  souls  to  their  care  1  Do  they 
take  any  care  of  their  own  souls  1  If  they  do  (I  speak  it  with  con-' 
cem),  I  fear  they  are  almost  the  only  missionaries  in  America  that  do. 
My  lord,  I  do  not  speak  rashly.  I  have  been  in  America ;  and  so 
have  several  with  whom  I  have  lately  conversed.    And  both  I  and 


JOHN    WESLEY.  21 

conversions  were  not  merely  of  a  nominal  character — a 
change  from  one  opinion  to  another,  or  from  one  system 
of  theology  to  another — but  a  radical  change  of  heart  and 
life,  a  translation  from  the  "  kingdom  of  darkness,  into  the 
kingdom  of  God's  dear  Son."     The  fruits  of  such  conver- 

they  know  what  manner  of  men  the  far  greater  part  of  these  are. 
They  are  men  who  have  neither  the  power  of  religion,  nor  the  form  ; 
men  that  lay  no  claim  to  piety,  nor  e^n  to  decency. 

"  Give  me  leave,  my  lord,  to  speak  more  freely  still :  perhaps  it  is 
the  last  time  I  shall  trouble  your  lordship.  I  know  your  lordship's 
abilities,  and  extensive  learning ;  I  believe,  what  is  more,  that  your 
lordship  fears  God.  I  have  heard  that  your  lordship  is  unfashionably 
diligent  in  examining  the  candidates  for  holy  orders :  yea,  that  your 
lordship  is  generally  at  the  pains  of  examining  them  yourself  Exam- 
ining them  ; — in  what  respects  1  Why,  whether  they  understand  a 
little  Latin  and  Greek,  and  can  answer  a  few  trite  questions  in  the  sci- 
ence of  Divinity.  Alas,  how  little  does  this  avail !  Does  your  lord- 
ship examine  whether  they  serve  Christ  or  Belial  ?  Whether  they 
love  God  or  the  v>'orld  1  Whether  they  have  any  serious  thoughts 
about  heaven  or  hell  1  Whether  they  have  any  real  desire  to  save 
their  own  souls,  or  the  souls  of  others  "?  If  not,  what  have  they  to  do 
with  holy  orders  1  and  what  will  become  of  the  souls  committed  to 
their  care  1 

"  My  lord,  I  do  by  no  means  despise  learning  :  I  know  the  value  of 
it  too  well.  But  what  is  this,  particularly  in  a  Christian  minister,  com- 
pared to  piety  I  What  is  it  to  a  man  that  has  no  religion  ■?  '  As  a 
jewel  in  a  swine's  snout.' 

"  Some  time  since,  I  recommended  to  your  lordship  a  plain  man, 
whom  I  had  known  above  twenty  years,  as  a  person  of  deep,  gennina 
piety,  and  of  unblamable  conversation.  But  he  neither  understood 
Greek  nor  Latin,  and  he  aflSrmed  in  so  many  words,  that '  he  believed 
it  was  his  duty  to  preach,  whether  he  was  ordained  or  no.'  I  believe 
so  too.  What  became  of  him  since,  I  know  not.  But  I  suppose  he 
received  Presbyterian  ordination,  and  I  cannot  blame  him  if  he  did. 
He  might  think  any  ordination  better  than  none. 

"  I  do  not  know  that  Mr.  Haskius  had  any  favors  to  ask  of  the  So- 
ciety. He  asked  the  favor  of  your  lordship  to  ordain  him,  that  he 
might  minister  to  a  little  flock  in  America.  But  your  lordship  did  not 
see  good  to  ordain  him  :  but  your  lordship  did  see  good  to  ordain  and 


22  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

fiion  were  strikingly  displayed  in  the  case  of  the  poor  colliers 
of  Cornwall,  a  class  of  people,  who,  prior  to  the  labors  of  the 
Wesleys  among  them,  were  in  a  more  debased  and  ignorant 
state  than  many  of  the  heathen  in  Africa  or  America — a  class 
of  people  whose  days  were  spent  in  slavish  toil,  and  whose 
nights  were  given  to  drunkenness  and  sin  ;  a  people  on  whom 
the  Sabbath  could  scarcely  be  said  to  dawn,  only  to  yield 
them  a  temporary  respite  ^from  their  otherwise  unremitting 
toils,  and  afibrd  them  an  opportunity  of  plunging  still  deeper 
into  the  vortex  of  vice  and  crime — this  people,  having  heard, 
believed  and  were  converted,  and  their  conversion  resulted  in 
"  bringing  foi'th  the  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness,  to  the 
praise  and  glory  of  God."  While  Mr.  Wesley  and  his  co- 
laborers  were  thus  seeking  earnestly  to  bring  souls  to  the 
"knowledge   of  the  truth,"  their  success  begat  jealousy  in 

send  into  America  other  persons,  who  knew  something  of  Greek  and 
Latin  ;  but  knew  no  more  of  saving  souls,  than  of  catching  whales. 

"  In  this  respect,  also,  I  mourn  for  poor  America — for  the  sheep 
scattered  up  and  down  therein.  Part  of  them  have  no  shepherds  at 
all :  particularly  in  t\\e  northern  colonies  ;  and  the  case  of  the  rest  is 
little  better,  for  their  own  shepherds  pity  them  not.  They  cannot,  for 
they  have  no  pity  on  themselves.  They  take  no  thought  or  care  for 
their  own  souls. 

"  Wishing  your  lordship  every  blessing  from  the  Great  Shepherd 
and  Bishop  of  our  souls,  I  remain,  my  lord, 

"  Your  lordship's  dutiful  son  and  servant, 

"  John  Wesley." 

The  reader  will  readily  forgive  the  length  of  this  interesting  letter, 
as  it  shows  the  great  strait  into  which  Mr.  Wesley  was  brought  on  the 
account  of  his  Societies  in  America.  It  shows,  on  the  one  liand,  his 
anxiety  to  retain  his  Societies  in  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  the  refusal 
of  the  ecclesiastical  authorities  of  England  toi)rovide  for  them  the  min- 
istry and  the  sacraments,  and  proves  the  absolute  necessitj'  of  the 
course  Mr.  Wesley  took  in  the  ordination  of  Dr.  Coke  to  the  ofHce  of 
General  Superintendent,  and  of  the  consequent  organization  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


JOHN    WESLEY.  23 

some  of  the  clergymen  of  the  establishment,  and  even  in  some 
of  the  dissentin<^  ministers.  All  manner  of  objections  were 
raised  against  him  and  his  doctrines,  and  proceedings.  He 
was  assailed  on  one  side  by  the  Episcopal  dignitaries  of  the 
church,  and  on  the  other,  by  the  equally  talented  ministers 
of  independent  congregations  ;  these  objections  called  for  re- 
plies, and  rendered  it  necessary  for  Mr.  Wesley  and  his  friends 
to  become  polemics  to  a  greater  extent  than  was  desired  by 
themselves.  Their  disputations,  however,  and  especially  those 
of  Mr.  "Wesley,  and  his  friend,  Mr.  Fletcher,  convinced  their 
assailants  that  to  raise  objections  was  one  thing,  but  to  sus- 
tain them  before  a  candid  community,  another,  so  that  in 
spite  of  all  opposing  influences,  the  work  of  God  continued  to 
spread  and  grow,  and  the  flame  of  revival  to  rise  higher  and 
higher,  and  spread  wider  and  still  wider. 

Among  the  objections  raised  against  Mr.  Wesley  by  his 
illiberal  opposers,  was  one  of  laying  up  treasure  upon  earth. 
So  generally  were  reports  of  this  kind  circulated,  and  believed, 
that  the  commissioners  of  excise,  on  one  occasion,  wrote  to 
him  a  letter  in  which  they  state  that  they  cannot  doubt  but 
that  Mr.  Wesley  had  plate  in  his  possession  which,  he  had 
heretofore  neglected  to  report,  and  requiring  him  forthwith,  to 
make  an  entry  of  all  plate,  &c.  in  his  possession.  To  this 
letter,  Mr.  Wesley  replied  : — 

"  I  have  two  silver  spoons  at  London,  and  two  at  Bristol. 
Tliis  is  all  the  plate  which  I  have  at  present,  and  I  shall  not 
buy  any  more  while  so  many  around  me  want  bread. 

"  I  am,  sir,  &c., 

"  John  Wesley." 

In  reference  also  to  the  same  objection  of  hoarding  up 
wealth,  Mr.  Wesley,  during  his  sickness,  before  alluded  to  as 
a  part  of  the  epitaph  prepared  by  himself  for  his  tombstone, 
directed  the  insertion  of  the  following  words  :  "  Not  leaving, 


24  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

after  his  debts  are  paid,  ten  pounds  behind  him."  Indeed 
Mr.  Wesley,  during  his  entire  hfe,  was  governed  by  the  fol- 
lowing rule,  which  he  frequently  inculcated  upon  the  atten- 
tion of  others  :  "  Get  all  you  can,  Save  all  you  can,  Give 
away  all  you  can."  This  rule,  when  properly  understood, 
and  faithfully  adhered  to,  will  prevent,  as  in  Mr.  Wesley's 
case,  indulgence,  prodigality,  and  penuriousness. 

In  the  year  1784,  Mr.  Wesley's  mind  was  greatly  exercised 
in  relation  to  the  stability  and  government  of  the  Methodist 
Society  after  his  death,  which  event  he  foresaw  could  not  be 
far  distant.  In  order  to  prevent  the  disorganization  of  the 
Society,  and  to  perpetuate  the  connection  which  had  been 
established  by  him,  he  took  the  wise  precaution  of  effecting  a 
settlement  of  all  the  chapels  in  the  connection,  and  giving  a 
prospective  direction  to  the  affairs  of  the  Conference  and 
Society,  by  the  enrollment  in  Chancery  of  a  "  Deed  of  Dec- 
laration," in  which  deed  one  hundred  preachers,  mentioned 
by  name,  are  declared  to  be  the  "  Conference  of  the  people 
called  Methodists."  By  means  of  this  deed,  a  legal  descrip- 
tion was  given  to  the  term  Conference,  and  the  settlement 
of  all  chapels,  &c.  upon  trustees  was  provided  for.  The  deed 
also  made  provision  for  the  legal  occupancy  of  said  chapels, 
and  for  the  succession  and  perpetual  identity  of  the  yearly 
Conference,  so  that  the  President  of  the  Conference  should 
fill  the  place  and  be  in  fact  the  successor  of  Mr.  Wesley  him- 
self The  "  Deed  of  Declaration"  thus  drawn  up,  and  en- 
rolled, at  once  shows  the  strength  of  Mr.  Wesley's  mind,  and 
his  foreseeing  sagacity.  Probably  no  man  then  living  but 
Mr.  Wesley  could  have  so  well  provided  for  the  continued 
existence  and  increased  stability  of  so  large  a  body  of  preach- 
ers and  people,  and  the  history  of  the  Connection  for  the  past 
sixty  years,  or  since  the  death  of  Mr.  Wesley,  proves  that  his 
efforts  in  the  above  direction  were  the  result  not  of  the  wis- 
dom of  man  merely,  but  of  that  "  wisdom  which    cometh 


JOHN    WESLKY.  25 

irom  above,"  that  spirit  of  wisdom  and  sound  understanding 
which  God  vouchsafes  to  those  employed  by  him  in  carrying 
on  his  own  work  on  earth. 

Notwithstanding  Mr.  Wesley's  advanced  age,  lie  continued 
to  travel  from  place  to  place,  visiting  occasionally  Scotland, 
Ireland,  and  Germany,  in  all  pkces  being  received  and  hon- 
ored as  a  distinguished  messenger  of  God.  As  an  illustration 
of  the  degree  of  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  even  by  those 
who  differed  with  him  theologically,  we  may  be  allowed  to 
state,  that,  on  one  occasion,  while  visiting  the  ancient  city 
of  Perth,  in  Scotland,  the  freedom  of  the  city  was  presented 
to  him  in  the  most  becoming  manner  by  the  magistrates  and 
corporation.  JSTor  did  his  own  countrymen  hesitate  to  award 
to  him  that  meed  of  praise  which,  although  unsolicited  and 
undesired  by  hiin,  was  nevertheless  richly  deserved. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year  1791,  Mr.  Wesley  took  a  se- 
vere cold,  which  finally  terminated  in  death.  His  end  was 
what  might  have  been  expected  of  such  a  holy,  labori- 
ous servant  of  God, — eminently  peaceful  and  triumphant. 
Among  his  last  words  were  the  oft-quoted  ones,  "  The  best 
OF  ALL  13  God  is  with  us;"  and,  without  a  sigh  or  lingering 
groan,  this  eminent  man — 

"  His  bofly  with  his  charge  laid  down, 
And  ceased  at  once  to  work  and  live." 

Thus  died  John  Wesley,  in  the  eighty-eighth  year  of  his 
age,  and  sixty-sixth  of  his  ministry,  on  the  2d  day  of  March, 
1791.  His  funeral  was  attended  on  the  9th  of  the  same 
month.  His  funeral-sermon  was  preached  by  Rov.  Dr. 
Whitehead,  to  an  asstonishing  multitude  of  people,  including 
a  large  number  of  ministers  of  the  gospel,  both  of  the  estab- 
hshment  and  of  dissenting  churches.  Indeed,  so  great  were 
the  crowds  who  came  to  see  the  body  before  the  interment, 
that,  apprehending  confusion  from  the  largeness  of  the  mul- 


26  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS, 

titude,  his  friends  prudently  resolved  to  bury  the  corpse  at  an 
early  hour  in  the  morning.  His  remains  v/erc  deposited  in  a 
vault  in  the  grave-yard  of  City-Road-Chapel,  London. 

As  a  scholar,  Mr.  Wesley  had  few  superiors.  He  was  a 
critic  in  the  Latin  and  Greek  classics,  was  well  versed  in  He- 
brew, and  had  a  knowledge  of  several  modern  tongues.  He 
was  also  well  acquainted  with  the  higher  branches  of  math- 
ematics, and  the  more  abstruse  sciences.  He  was  also  well 
read  in  medical  science,  and  in  natural  history. 

As  a  writer  and  compiler,  Mr.  Wesley  had  few  equals.  The 
very  large  list  of  works  which  he  wrote,  abridged,  and  edited  for 
the  press,  aflbrds  sufficient  evidence  of  his  ability  as  a  writer. 

As  a  preacher,  Mr.  Wesley  was  more  than  an  ordinary 
man.  It  is  true  he  did  not  possess  the  impassioned  powers 
of  eloquence,  displayed  with  so  much  success  by  Whitefield, 
but  he  surpassed  the  latter  in  sweetness  of  voice,  in  neatness 
and  simplicity  of  style,  and  in  easy  and  graceful  action.  His 
discourses  were  alwaj^s  short,  seldom  exceeding  half  an  hour 
in  length,  and  his  sulyects  were  always  judiciously  chosen, 
and  were  instructive  and  interesting  to  his  usually  large  and 
attentive  audiences. 

In  social  life,  Mr.  Wesley  was  an  exceedingly  affable  and 
agreeable  man.  In  point  of  good-breeding,  he  was  a  perfect 
gentleman,  and  no  one,  not  even  an  enemy,  could  be  in  his 
company  long  without  feeling  that  he  was  in  the  presence  of 
one  who  was  able  to  command  the  respect  of  all  with  whom 
he  had  intercourse. 

In  labors  Mr.  Wesley  was  abundant.  During  the  sixty-five 
years  of  his  ministry  he  probably  travelled  not  less  than  two 
hundred  and  seventy  thousand  miles  !  or  more  than  ten  times 
the  circumference  of  the  globe  ;  or  an  average  of  four  thou- 
sand five  hundred  miles  annually.  This,  too,  was  accom- 
plished mostly  on  horseback,  although  during  the  latter 
years  of  his  life  he  was  compelled,  through  the  solicitations  of 


JOHN    WESLEY,  27 

friends,  to  use  a  carriage.  In  addition  to  the  necessary- 
labor  of  travelling,  it  has  been  estimated  that  he  preached,  on 
an  average,  two  sermons  daily  for  over  fifty  years  of  his  life, 
or  in  the  aggregate,  of  over  forty  thousand  sermons  !  besides 
innumerable  addresses,  exhortations,  prayers,  &c.,  &c.  If  to 
this  we  add  his  literary  labors,  and  his  epistolary  correspon- 
dence, together  with  the  care  of  all  the  preachers  and  Socie- 
ties subject  to  his  direction,  we  need  not  hesitate  to  believe 
that  no  man  since  the  days  of  the  apostles,  nay,  not  even  the 
apostles  themselves,  were  more  abundant  in  labors  than  the 
apostle  of  Methodism,  John  Wesley.  To  accomplish  so  much, 
Mr.  Wesley  was  necessarily  very  provident  of  his  time.  His 
hour  of  rising  was  four  in  the  morning,  summer  and  winter, 
so  that  while  others  were  sleeping,  Mr.  Wesley  had  perhaps 
'  accomplished  a  good  day's  work. 

Mr.  Wesley's  benevolence  was  unbounded,  except  by  his 
want  of  means.  One  who  well  knew  him,  describes  him  as 
the  most  charitable  man  in  England.  He  literally  gave 
away  all  that  he  had,  and  from  the  income  which  he  re- 
ceived, arising  principally  from  the  sale  of  his  books,  it  has 
been  estimated  that  he  gave  away  for  charitable  purposes 
durinjT  his  life,  not  less  than  07ie  hundred  thousand  dollars, ! 
Notwithstanding  his  large  income  from  the  above  and  other 
sources,  he  died  without  leaving  any  property  save  his  car- 
riage and  horses,  a  few  clothes,  and  his  books,  which  he  be- 
queathed to  the  conference. 

As  a  man  of  fervent  piety,  no  person  has  been  more  pre- 
eminent in  modern  times,  than  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
To  doubt  the  piety  of  Wesley,  would  be  to  deny  the  existence 
of  piety  on  earth,  a  species  of  skepticism  equalled  only  by  the 
profane  ribaldry  of  a  Paine,  or  the  unblushing  sophistries  of 
a  Voltaire  ;  and  yet,  if  John  Wesley  had  been  absolutely  per- 
fect, he  had  not  been  a  mere  man.  "  To  err  is  human,"  and 
while  we  candidly  believe  that  Mr.  Wesley  was  as  perfect  as 


28  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

any  man  on  earth,  we  would  hesitate  to  claim  for  him  an  ex- 
emption from  the  frailties  and  infirmities  incident  to  human 
nature.  Of  this  no  man  was  more  sensible  than  Wesley 
himself ;  his  frequent  cry  was, 

"I  the  chief  of  sinners  am, 
But  Jesus  died  for  me." 

Wesley,  like  all  other  pious  men,  was  "a  sinner  saved  by 
grace,"  and  if  in  his  deeds  of  piety,  chanty,  and  self-denial, 
he  differed  from  others,  it  was  the  grace  of  God  which  made 
him  to  differ ;  and  if  he  had  qualifications  fitting  him  for  the 
important  position  of  a  religious  reformer,  and  the  founder  of 
a  large  and  respectable  denomination  of  Evangelical  Chris- 
tians, to  the  same  grace  of  God,  he  was  entirely  indebted  for 
all  such  qualifications.  Let  the  reader  then  adore  the  ma- 
jesty of  that  grace,  which  raised  up  such  a  man  as  John 
Wesley,  to  adorn  and  bless  the  world,  and  while  he  adores, 
let  the  language  of  his  heart  be  that  of  our  own  immortal 
poet : 

"  0,  that'I  could  all  invite. 
This  saving  truth  to  prove  ; 
Show  the  length,  and  breadth,  and  height, 

And  depth  of  Jesus'  love. 
Fain  I  would  to  sinners  show, 

The  blood  by  faith,  alone  applied, 
Only  Jesus'  will  I  know. 
And  Jesus  crucified." 


CHAPTER  11. 

REV.   CHARLES  WESLEY,   A.M. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  v/as  the  third  son  of  Rev.  Sam- 
uel Wesley  of  Epworth,  Eng.,  and  the  younger  brother  of 
Rev.  John  Wesley.  He  was  born  in  Epworth,  in  the  year 
1708,  and  consequently  was  five  years  younger  than  his  bro- 
ther John.  Nothing  extraordinary  appears  to  have  taken 
place  in  his  infancy  and  youth  deserving  of  particular  notice, 
except  that  he  was  educated  at  Westminster  school,  vmder 
the  tuition  of  his  brother  Samuel,  from  whom,  it  is  said,  he 
imbibed  the  most  ultra  high  church  principles.  After  having 
been  at  school  some  years,  a  gentleman  in  Ireland  by  the 
name  of  Wesley,  and  possessed  of  a  large  fortune,  vv^rote  to 
Charles'  father,  offering  to  make  the  former  his  heir,  and  who 
subsequently  sent  him  for  several  years,  a  sum  of  money  an- 
nually, to  assist  him  in  his  education.  Finally  the  gentleman 
wished  him  to  remove  to  Ireland,  but  Charles  preferring  to 
remain  in  England,  the  subject  was  dropped,  and  another 
person  was  selected  as  the  heir,  and  who  taking  the  property 
and  honors  left  him  by  his  benefactor,  became  in  consequence 
the  first  Earl  of  Mornington,  and  grandfather  of  the  present 
Duke  of  Wellington. 

After  pursuing  his  studies  at  Westminster  School  for  a  few 
years,  Charles  Wesley  was  elected  to  Christ's  Church  College, 
Oxford,  and  here,  as  stated  in  the  previous  chapter,  he  repre- 
sents himself  as  losmg  his  first  year  in  diversions,  the  next  he 


30  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

set  himself  to  study  ;  diligence  led  him  into  serious  thinking  ; 
and  he  went  weekly  to  the   Sacrament,  persuading  two  or 
three    students    to    accompany    him.     He    also    strictly   and 
methodically  observed  the   course  of  study  prescribed  by  the 
statutes  of  the  University.      "  This,"  said  he,  "  gained  me  the 
harmless  name  of  Methodist."     As  John  his  brother,  was  at 
this  time  absent  from  Oxford,  it  would  appear  that  Charles 
had  the  honor  of  being  the  first  modern  Methodist,  and  that 
he  in  fact  laid  the  foundation  of  the  religious  Society  which 
has   since  been  distinguished  by  that  name,  although  to  his 
brother  John,  belongs  the  honor  of  forming  the  first  Society  of 
Methodists  on  a  purely  religious  basis,  without  respect  to  edu- 
cational interests,  or  merely  personal  improvement.     In  com- 
pany with  John,  Charles  Wesley  spent  much  of  his  time  in 
visiting  the  poor,  the  sick,  and  those  in  prison.     These  pious 
labors  brought  upon  the  two  brothers  a  storm  of  persecution. 
Indeed  their  piety,  their  zeal,  their  devotion  to  the  cause  of 
God,  created  quite  a  sensation,  not  only  within  the  precincts 
of  the  University,  but  became  noised  abroad,  as  instances  of 
fanaticism  and  irregularity,  so  much  so,  that  their  father  took 
a  journey  to  Oxford' that  he  might  see  and  judge  for  himself 
in  relation  to  the  so  called  singularity  of  their  proceedings. 
In  writing  home  to  his  wife,  he  informs  her,  that  he  had  been 
well   repaid  for  his  trouble  and  expense  by  the  shining  piety 
of  their  two  sons. 

As  before  stated,  Charles  Wesley  accompanied  his  brother 
John  as  Missionary  to  Georgia,  and  as  a  prerequisite  for  his 
work,  he  received  ordination.  On  their  arrival  in  Geort^ia. 
Charles  took  charge  of  the  colony  at  Frederica  ;  but  here  he 
met  with  much  opposition  from  the  colonists.  Their  licentious 
conduct  called  for  frequent  reproofs  from  their  faithful  pastor. 
and  this  at  once  made  him  an  object  of  their  most  bitter 
hatred,  and  plots  were  formed  either  to  ruin  him  in  the  opin- 
ion of  Governor  Oglethorpe,  his  friend  and  patron,  or  to  take 


CHARLES    WESLEY.  31 

him  off"  by  violence.  His  enemies  for  a  short  time  succeeded 
in  prejudicing  the  mind  of  the  Governor  against  him,  who,  in 
consequence  of  their  falsehoods  and  misrepresentations,  treated 
him  with  indifference,  and  left  him  to  endure  the  greatest 
privations.  It  is  said  that  he  was  obliged  to  lie  upon  the 
cold,  damp  ground,  in  the  corner  of  a  miserable  hut,  and  was 
denied  even  the  use  of  a  few  boards  as  a  substitute  for  a  bed. 
And  as  he  had  lost  the  favor  of  the  Governor,  the  servants 
treated  him  coldly,  and  even  insulted  him.  Thus  worn  out 
with  hardship  and  ill-treatment,  he  was  seized  with  a  dan- 
gerous fever,  and  being  possessed  of  an  independent  spirit,  he, 
even  while  exposed  to  death  through  neglect,  refused  to  let 
his  wants  be  known  to  General  Oglethorpe,  Avho  had  treated 
him  so  indifferently.  In  this  extremity  he  was  visited  by  his 
brother  John,  through  whose  fraternal  kindness,  his  wants 
were  supplied,  and  his  health  partially  restored.  Soon  after 
this,  the  Governor  learned  that  Charles  had  been  the  victim 
of  a  base  and  wicked  conspiracy  ;  that  the  charges  preferred 
against  him  were  as  false  as  they  were  malicious,  and  in  con- 
sequence of  this  discovery,  he  became  fully  reconciled  to  the 
persecuted  Missionary.  Charles  therefore  exchanged  places 
with  John,  tiie  former  taking  charge  of  Savannah,  and  the 
latter  of  Frederica,  but  in  July  ensuing,  the  Governor  sent 
him  to  England  with  despatches  to  the  trustees  and  board  of 
trade,  and  thus  terminated  his  short  mission  to  America, 
where  he  suffered  the  most  bitter  persecution  for  righteousness' 
sake. 

In  December  of  1736,  Charles  Wesley  again  set  foot  on  the 
shores  of  his  native  land,  and  having  delivered  his  despatches, 
and  discharged  the  duties  assigned  him  by  the  governor  of 
Georgia,  he  turned  his  attention  once  more  to  the  great  work 
of  preaching  the  Gospel,  in  which  work  he  continued,  until 
the  return  of  John  from  his  foreign  field  of  labor.* 

*  In  August  after  Charles  Wesley's  return  to  England,  he  was  made 


32  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS 

In  looking  at  the  sacrifices  and  sufferings  of  Charles  Wesley, 
at  the  sneers  and  scoffs  of  which  he  was  the  subject  in  Oxford, 
at  his  self-denial  in  leaving  home  and  kindred  for  the  sake  of 
preaching  Christ  in  a  far  distant  land,  at  the  contumely  and 
reproach  which  he  endured  while  there,  who  would  hesitate 
to  avow  their  firm  belief  that  he  was  a  Cliristian  in  the 
correct  and  proper  acceptation  of  that  term  ?  And  yet, 
Charles  was  but  a  servant  of  Grod,  not  a  Son.  He  had  not 
as  yet  received  the  "spirit  of  adoption,"  whereby  he  could 
cry  "  Abba  Father."  Peter  Bohler  had  occasion  to  visit 
Charles,  while  the  latter  was  lying  upon  a  bed  of  sickness  at 
Oxford.  On  conversing  wath  him  in  relation  to  his  hope  of 
heaven,  he  learned  that  Charles  was  depending  upon  his  own 
good  works  to  secure  eternal  life, — that  he  v/as  in  fact  a 
pharisee.  And  while  Bohler  endeavored  to  show  the  necessity 
of  faith  in  Christ,  and  the  utter  worthlessness  of  his  own 
righteousness,  Charles  was  somewhat  offended.  After  his 
recovery,  however,  by  reading  and  meditation,  he  was  con- 
vinced of  his  want  of  that  faith  which  brings  "  peace  and  joy 
in  the  Holy  Ghost."  As  he  read  and  meditated,  his  convic- 
tions increased,  until  at  length  he  was  impelled  by  his  sense 
of  sin  and  danger,  to  throw  himself  like  any  other  poor  sinner, 
upon  the  naked  merits  of  Christ  for  salvation,  and  he  soon  ex- 
perienced that  moral  change  of  heart,  which  produced  the  fixed 
confidence  of  a  child  of  God.  Thus  was  Charles  Wesley 
brought  to  the  knoivledge  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  a  few 
days  prior  to  the  conversion  of  his  brother  John  ;  and  thus  were 
these  two  brothers,  prepared  by  the  possession  and  enjoyment 

tlie  bearer  of  an  address  from  the  University,  at  Oxford,  to  his 
Majesty  George  III.  He  accordingly  waited  on  the  king  at  Hampton 
Court,  and  was  graciously  received,  not  only  by  the  king,  but  bv  the 
archbishop.  He  was  invited  to  dine  with  his  majesty,  and  on  the 
following  (lay  he  dined  at  St.  James'  palace  with  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
afterward  George  IV. 


CHARLES    WESLEY,  33 

of  personal  salvation,  to  preach  salvation  to  others — salvation 
from  sin,  from  guilt,  from  fear,  and  from  doubt  in  relation  to 
the  believer's  acceptance  with  God. 

During  John  Wesley's  visit  to  the  Moravian  settlement  at 
Hernhutt,  as  related  in  the  previous  chapter,  Charles  employed 
his  time  in  preaching  the  doctrines  of  free  grace  and  justifica- 
tion by  faith,  in  the  churches  of  London,  and  in  holding 
meetings  for  prayer  and  mutual  edification.  He  also  visited 
Oxford,  and  was  rendered  useful  to  a  nnmber  of  his  college 
friends.  About  this  time  also,  the  doctrines  of  predestination 
began  to  be  warmly  debated  in  their  social  meetings.  Charles 
without  entering  fully  into  the  merits  of  the  case,  contented 
himself  with  simply  protesting  against  it.  He  also  began  to 
preach  extempore,  and  although  urged  by  his  friend  Mr. 
Whitefield  to  accept  of  a  college  living  in  Oxford,  he  refused 
to  do  so,  for  the  reason,  that  he  could  make  himself  more 
useful  in  another  sphere  of  action.  During  Mr.  John  Wesley's 
temporary  absence  from  London,  disputes  arose  in  the  Fetter 
Lane  Society,  in  relation  to  lay  preaching.  Charles,  whose 
notions  in  regard  to  the  ministry  were  of  a  high-church 
character,  protested  warmly  against  the  practice  of  allowing 
laymen  to  preach.  But  notwithstanding  his  high-churchism, 
he  was  strongly  censured  by  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
who  even  hinted  at  the  possibility  of  proceeding  to  excom- 
munication, not  on  account  of  any  erroneous  doctrine  promul- 
gated by  him,  but  simply  on  account  of  his  irregularities  in 
preaching  extempore,  &c.,  &c.  The  reproof  of  the  archbishop 
threw  him  into  great  perplexity  of  mind  in  relation  to  what 
course  he  had  better  pursue,  whether  to  recede  from  walking 
in  what  appeared  to  him  the  path  of  duty,  and  so  obey  the 
admonitions  of  his  ecclesiastical  .superiors,  or  place  all  he 
had  upon  the  altar  of  sacrifice,  and  try  to  do  good  in  any  place, 
and  under  any  circumstances  which  Providence  would  seem 
to  indicate.     He  conferred  with  Mr.  Whitefield  in  relation  to 

3 


34  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

the  matter,  who  advised  him  not  to  retract,  but  to  preach  in 
the  fields  on  the  next  sabbath,  by  which  step,  he  v/ould  render 
his  retreat  difficult  if  not  impossible.  Charles  complied  with 
this  timely  advice,  and  on  the  ensuing  Sunday,  preached  to  a 
congregation  of  a  thousand  perishing  sinners  in  Moorfields. 
The  Lord  greatly  blessed  him  in  this  effort,  so  that  all  his 
doubts  M'ere  removed.  He  then  proceeded  to  Kennington 
Common,  where  he  preached  to  "  multitudes  on  multitudes," 
and  called  upon  them  to  "repent  and  believe  the  Gospel." 
From  London,  he  proceeded  to  Oxford,  and  notwithstanding 
the  opposition  of  the  dean  of  the  University  to  field  preaching, 
he  improved  the  opportunity  of  preaching  to  the  University 
with  great  boldness,  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith. 
This  latter  doctrine,  although  fully  taught  in  the  XL  Article 
of  Religion  of  the  Church  of  England,  had  become  obsolete 
as  a  matter  of  faith,  and  by  most  of  the  clergy  and  dignitaries 
of  that  church,  was  considered  as  a  new  doctrine,  and  not 
only  as  new,  but  as  dangerous  to  the  morals  of  the  community 
and  as  jeopardizing  the  salvation  of  the  soul.  It  was,  there- 
fore, a  task  imposed  upon  the  Wesleys  by  the  great  Head  of 
the  Church,  to  revive  this  apostolic  doctrine,  and  how  suc- 
cessfully they  accomplished  this  task,  their  subsequent  histoiy 
fully  shows. 

Among  the  earlier  efforts  of  the  Wesleys  to  benefit  the 
poor  and  ignorant,  was  the  establishment  of  a  school  in  Kings- 
wood  for  the  instruction  of  the  children  cf  the  poor,  benighted 
colliers.  The  colliers  in  this  locality,  on  account  of  their 
ignorance  and  wickedness,  had  been  the  terror  of  the  entire 
community  around  them.  But  through  the  labors  of  Mr. 
AVhitefield,  and  the  Wesleys,  many  of  them  became  exemplary 
for  their  piety  and  sobriety  of  conduct.  The  leaven  thus  in- 
troduced had  a  powerful  influence,  even  upon  the  unconverted 
among  them,  as  may  be  inferred  from  the  following  statement. 
On  one  occasion  while  Mr.  Charles  Wesley  was  in  Bristol,  he 


CHARLES    WESLEr.  35 

learned  that  the  colliers  of  Kingswood  had  risen  en  masse,  on 
account  of  the  dearness  of  corn,  and  were  marching  to  Bristol 
in  a  hostile  manner  to  seek   a  redress  of  grievances.     Mr. 
Wesley  immediately  rode  out  to  meet  them,  to  dissuade  them 
from  their  purpose.     Many  seemed  disposed  to  return  to  the 
school-house  with  him,  but  the  more  desperate  rushed  upon 
these,  and  violently  drove  them  away  from  Mr.  Wesley.     He 
rode  up  to  one  desperado  who  was  striking  one  of  the  pacific 
colliers,  and  asked  him  to  strike  him,  rather  than  the  collier. 
■'  No,  not  for  all  the  world,"  replied  the  man,  and  became 
perfectly  peaceable.     Mr.  Wesley  seized  one  of  the  tallest  of  the 
mob,  and  besought  him  to  follow  him.     "  Yes,  that  I  will, 
all   the    world   over,"    replied    he,   and   in  this   manner   he 
pressed  several  of  them  into  the  service  of  peace  and  order, 
who  returned  with  him  to  the  school-house,  singing  as  they 
went,  and  constantly  increasing  their  strength  and  number. 
On  arriving   at  the  school,  they  spent  about  two  hours  in 
prayer  that  evil  might  be  prevented,  and  the  lion  be  chained. 
Soon  word  was  brought  that  the  mob  had  returned  without 
having  offered  any  violence  to  person  or  thing,  but  having 
simply  stated   their   grievances    to  the    mayor  of  the   city. 
Charles  Wesley  found  that  every  Methodist  who  had  gone 
out  with  the  rabble,  had  been  literally  forced  to  go.     One 
of  them,  the  rioters  had  dragged  out  of  his  sick  bed,  and 
thrown  him  into  the  fish-pond.     Mr.  Wesley  adds,  "  It  was 
a    happy    circumstance    that   they   forced   so   many   of  the 
Methodists  to  go  with  them,  as  these  by  their   advice  and 
example  restrained  the  savage  fury  of  the  others."     As  the 
Wesleys  continued  to  gain  increased  influence  over  the  hearts 
and  minds  of  the  colliers  of  Kingswood,  the  latter  became 
more  and  more  enlightened,  until  at  length,  those  who  had 
previously  been  but  at  a  single  remove  from  the  brute  creation 
in  point  of  intelligence,  and  beneath  the  brutes  in  regard  to 
their  actions,  became   an    intelligent,  moral,  virtuous,  and 


o\J  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

pious  people,  "  whose  praise,"  even  to  this  day,  "  is  in  all  the 
churches." 

Such  results  as  the  above,  followed  the  labors  of  the  Wesleys 
more  or  less  wherever  they  went.  The  vicious,  profane,  and 
disorderly  were  converted  into  peaceable  and  order-loving' 
subjects,  and  yet  strange  as  it  may  seem,  clergymen,  magis- 
trates, and  officers  of  the  army,  not  only  opposed,  and  ridiculed, 
but  even  headed  mobs  of  violent  men  for  the  purpose  of  pre- 
venting their  preaching.  Many  illustrations  of  the  truth  of 
these  remarks  might  be  given.  We  will  in  this  place  give 
one  or  two  instances. 

In  the  year  1743,  Charles  Wesley  went  to  visit  the  Society 
in  Sheffield,  who  were  as  sheep  among  wolves,  "  the  minister 
having  so  stirred  up  the  people,  that  they  were  ready  to  tear 
the  Methodists  in  pieces."  "At  six  o'clock,"  says  Mr.  Chas. 
Wesley,  "  I  went  to  the  Society-house,  next  door  to  our  Br. 
Bennett's.  Hell,  from  beneath,  vi'as  moved  to  oppose  us.  As 
soon  as  I  was  in  the  desk  with  David  Taylor,  the  floods  be- 
gan to  lift  up  their  voice  An  officer  in  the  army  contradict- 
ed and  blasphemed.  I  took  no  notice  of  him,  but  sang  on. 
The  stones  flew  thick,  striking  the  desk,  and  the  people.  To 
save  them  and  the  house  from  being  pulled  down,  I  gave  out 
that  I  should  preach  in  the  street,  and  look  them  in  the  face. 
The  whole  army  of  the  aliens  followed  me.  The  Captain 
laid  hold  on  me,  and  began  rioting  :  I  gave  him  for  answer, 
'  A  Word  in  Season,  or  Advice  to  a  Soldier.'  I  then  particu- 
larly prayed  for  his  majesty  King  George,  and  preached  the 
gospel  with  much  contention.  The  stones  often  struck  me  in 
the  face.  I  prayed  for  sinners,  as  servants  of  their  master  the 
devil ;  upon  which  the  Captain  ran  at  me  with  great  fury, 
threatening  revenge  for  abusing,  as  he  called  it,  the  King  his 
master.  He  forced  his  way  through  the  brethren,  drew  his 
sword,  and  presented  it  to  my  breast.  I  immediately  opened 
my  breast,  and  fixing  my  eye  on  his,  and  smilmg  in  his  face, 


CHARLES   WESLEY.  8^ 

calmly  said,  '  I  fear  God  and  honor  the  King.'  His  counte- 
nance fell  in  a  moment,  he  fetched  a  deep  sigh,  and  putting  up 
his  sword,  quietly  left  the  place.  He  had  said  to  one  of  the 
company,  who  afterward  informed  me,  '  You  shall  see  if  I  do 
but  hold  my  sword  to  his  breast,  he  will  faint  away  I'  So, 
perhaps,  I  should,  had  I  only  his  principles  to  trust  to  ;  but 
if  at  that  time  I  was  not  afraid,  no  thanks  to  my  personal 
courage.  We  returned  to  our  Br.  Bennett's,  and  gave  our- 
selves up  to  prayer.  The  rioters  followed,  and  exceeded  in. 
outrage  all  I  have  seen  before.  Those  at  Moorfields,  Cardiff, 
and  Walsal,  were  lambs  to  these.  As  there  is  no  '  King  in 
Israel,'  I  mean  no  magistrate  in  Sheffield,  every  man  doeth 
as  seemeth  good  in  his  own  eyes."  The  mob  now  formed  the 
design  of  pulling  down  the  Society-house,  and  set  upon  their 
work  while  Charles  Wesley  and  the  people  were  praying  and 
praising  God  within.  "  It  was  a  glorious  time  with  us  ;  every 
word  of  exhortation  sunk  deep,  every  prayer  was  sealed,  and 
many  found  the  Spirit  of  Glory  resting  upon  them."  The 
next  day  the  house  was  completely  pulled  down,  not  one  stone 
being  left  upon  another.  He  then  preached  again  in  the 
street,  somewhat  more  quietly  than  before  ;  but  the  rioters 
became  very  noisy  in  the  evening,  and  threatened  to  pull 
down  the  house  where  he  lodged.  He  went  out  to  them,  and 
made  a  suitable  exhortation,  "  and  they  soon  after  separated, 
and  peace  was  restored." 

On  the  next  day  he  left  the  place,  but  in  passing  through 
Thorpe,  he  found  the  people  exceedingly  mad  against  him. 
While  turning  down  a  lane,  a  large  number  who  had  been 
lying  in  ambush,  arose  and  assaulted  Mr.  Wesley  and  his 
companion,  Mr.  Taylor,  with  stones,  eggs,  and  dirt.  They 
severely  wounded  the  latter  on  the  forehead,  from  which  the 
blood  ran  freely.  Mr.  Wesley's  horse  turned  from  side  to 
side,  till  he  found  his  way  through  the  mob.  He  then  turned, 
and  asked  the  reason  why  a  ciergyman  could  not  pass  with- 


S8  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

out  such  treatmen-t.  At  first  the  rioters  scattered,  but  their 
captain  soon  rallied  them  again,  and  ansv/ered  with  horrible 
imprecations  and  stones.  Mr.  Wesley's  horse  took  fright,  and 
ran  with  him  violently  down  a  steep  hill,  the  mob  pursuing 
and  shouting  with  all  their  might.  Mr.  Wesley  barely 
escaped  with  his  life,  being  covered  from  head  to  foot  with 
eggs  and  dirt. 

Shortly  after  the  above  occurrence,  Mr.  Charles  Wesley 
visited  Leeds,  where  he  was  treated  with  great  respect  by  the 
resident  clergymen.  From  Leeds  he  went  to  NeAvcastle, 
■where  he  abounded  in  labors  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  and 
where  his  efforts  were  signally  blessed  of  God.  He  soon  after 
went  to  Nottingham,  where  he  met  his  brother  John,  who 
had  just  returned  from  Wednesbury,  where  he  had  been  the 
subject  of  abuse  from  one  of  the  vilest  mobs  that  ever  dis- 
graced Christendom.  Li  referring  to  the  meeting  of  the  two 
brothers,  Charles  Wesley  remarks  :  "  My  brother  came  de- 
livered out  of  the  mouth  of  the  lion  I  His  clothes  were  torn 
o  tatters  ;  he  looked  like  a  soldier  of  Christ.  The  mob  of 
Wednesbury,  Darl^aston,  and  Walsal,  were  permitted  to  take 
and  carry  him  about  for  several  hours,  with  a  full  intent  to 
murder  him  :  but  his  work  is  not  yet  finished,  or  he  hfid  been 
now  with  the  souls  under  the  altar."  Charles,  undaunted 
by  such  usage,  set  out  immediately  for  Wednesbury,  that  he 
might  encourage  the  poor  persecuted  Societies. 

In  1743,  Charles  Wesley  visited  Cornwall,  and  here  he 
preached  amidst  mobs  and  tumults,  to  the  most  degraded  and 
neglected  portion  of  the  inhabitants  of  England  ;  and  here 
too  were  his  labors  and  those  of  his  brother  rewarded  by  the 
sound  conversion  of  hundreds  of  those  semi-savages ;  and  in 
this  unpromising  soil  many  precious  plants  were  subsequently 
reared  to  the  praise  of  God,  so  that  until  the  present  day, 
Methodism  has  had  a  strong  hold  on  the  afiections  of  the  in- 
habitants of  Cornwall,  and  in  no  part  of  the  kingdom  has  it 


CHARLES    WESLEY.  39 

flourished  more,  or  exerted  a  more  benign  influence  upon  the 
hearts  and  lives  of  its  votaries  ;  although  at  first  every  effort 
was  put  forth  by  the  civil,  military,  and  ecclesiastical  author- 
ities, to  stop  the  flame  of  reformation.  The  members  of  the 
Society,  and  even  the  preachers  were  seized  by  the  press- 
gang — the  shaine  of  England — and  impressed  into  the  army, 
but,  through  the  abounding  grace  of  God,  the  fire  continued 
to  burn,  until  at  length  poor,  debased  Cornwall  has  been  re- 
deemed through  the  influence  of  Methodism,  and  a  large  ma- 
jority of  the  people  have  become  identified  with  the  "  sect" 
which  was  once  "  everywhere  spoken  against." 

As  a  further  illustration  of  the  treatment  received  by  Mr. 
Charles  Wesley,  in  his  efforts  to  do  good,  we  may  be  allowed 
to  introduce  the  following  statement.  "  The  year  1745  was 
chiefly  spent  by  him  in  London,  Bristol,  and  Wales.  In  the 
early  part  of  the  next  year,  he  proceeded  to  Cornwall.  *  *  * 
On  his  return  to  London,  thTough  the  introduction  of  Mr.  E. 
Perronet,  a  pious  young  man,  he  visited  the  Rev.  Vincent 
Perronet,  the  venerable  Vicar  of  Shoreham  in  Kent.  *  *  * 
Being  invited  to  perform  service  in  Shoreham  church,  '  as 
soon  as  I  began  to  preach,'  says  he,  '  the  wild  beasts  began 
roaring,  stamping,  blaspheming,  ringing  the  bells,  and  turn- 
ing the  church  into  a  bear-garden.  I  spoke  on  for  half  an. 
hour,  though  only  the  nearest  could  hear.  The  rioters  fol- 
lowed us  to  Mr.  Perronet's  house,  raging,  threatening,  and 
throwing  stones.  Charles  Perronet  hung  over  me,  to  inter- 
cept the  blows.  They  continued  their  uproar  after  we  got 
into  the  house.'  From  Shoreham  Mr.  Wesley  and  his  young 
friend  returned  to  London,  and  from  thence  proceeded  to  the 
north  of  England.  On  the  way  they  called  at  Tippen  Green 
in  Staffordshire.  Being  in  a  house,  without  any  design  of 
preaching,  and  the  mob  being  aware  of  Mr.  Wesley's  pres- 
ence, beset  the  house,  and  while  beating  the  door,  demanded 
entrance.     '  I  sat  still,'  says  Mr.  Wesley,  '  in  the  midst  of 


40  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

them,  for  half  an  hour,  and  was  a  little  concerned  for  E.  Per- 
ronet,  lest  such  rough  treatment  at  his  first  setting  out  should 
daunt  him.  But  he  abounded  in  valor,  and  was  for  reason- 
ing with  the  wild  beasts,  before  they  had  spent  any  of  their 
violence.  He  got  a  good  deal  of  abuse  thereby,  and  not  a 
little  dirt,  both  of  which  he  took  very  patiently.  I  had  no 
design  to  preach,  but  being  called  upon  by  so  unexpected  a 
congregation,  I  rose  at  last,  and  read,  '  When  the  Son  of  man 
shall  come  in  his  glory,  and  all  his  holy  angels  with  him,  &c.' 
While  I  reasoned  with  them  of  judgment  to  come,  they  grew 
calmer,  little  by  little.  I  then  spoke  to  them  one  by  one,  till 
the  Lord  had  disarmed  them  all.'  " 

After  visiting  Newcastle,  he  went  to  Hexham,  wherQ  he 
preached  in  the  market-place.  A  multitude  stood  staring  at 
him,  but  all  remained  quiet.  None  oflered  to  interrupt,  but 
one  unfortunate  country  esquire,  who  could  prevail  on  no  one 
to  second  his  attempts  at  persecution.  His  servants  and  the 
constables  hid  themselves.  One  of  the  latter  the  squire 
found,  and  ordered  him  to  go  and  take  Mr.  Wesley  down. 
The  constable  replied  :  "  Sir,  I  cannot  have  the  face  to  Jo  it, 
for  what  harm  does  he  ?"  After  preaching,  Mr.  Wesley 
walked  through  the  people,  who  aciaiowledged  that  what  he 
had  preached  was  truth.  A  constable  followed,  who  told 
Mr.  Wesley,  "  Sir  Edward  Blacket  orders  you  to  dis,i:>erse  the 
town  ('  depart,  I  suppose  he  meant,'  says  Mr.  Wesley),  and 
not  raise  a  disturbance  here."  Mr.  Wesley  sent  his  respects 
to  Sir  Edward,  and  stated  that  if  he  would  give  him  leave  he 
would  wait  on  him,  and  satisfy  him.  The  man  soon  returned 
with  the  answer,  that  Sir  Edward  would  have  nothing  to  say 
to  him,  but  that  if  he  preached  again  and  raised  a  disturb- 
ance he  would  put  the  law  in  execution  against  him.  Mr. 
Wesley,  however,  was  not  so  easily  intimidated.  He  did 
preach  again  in  the  cock-pit,  where  he  expected  Satan  would 
meet  him  on  his  own  ground.     He  took  for  his  text,  "  Eepent, 


CHARLES    WESLEr.  41 

and  be  converted,  that  your  sins  may  be  blotted  out."  The 
justice's  son  labored  hard  to  raise  a  mob,  for  which  Mr.  Wes- 
ley was  to  be  held  answerable,  but  the  very  boys  ran  away 
from  him.  The  squire,  however,  persuaded  a  few  to  return 
and  cry  "  fire,"  but  no  further  disturbance  took  place.  A 
good  influence  was  felt  in  this  place,  as  the  result  of  Mr 
Wesley's  labors. 

Some  time  after  this,  Charles  Wesley  visited  Devizes, 
where,  while  preaching  in  a  private  house,  he  was  assailed 
by  a  furious  mob,  led  on  by  the  curate  of  the  parish  and  two 
dissenters.  They  brought  a  hand-engine,  and  began  to  play 
into  the  house.  A  constable  came  and  seized  the  spout  of 
the  engine,  and  carried  it  oil'.  They,  however,  went  and  got 
the  larger  engine,  with  which  they  broke  the  windows,  flooded 
the  rooms,  and  spoiled  the  goods.  The  rioters  continued 
their  work  of  destruction  until  the  constable  read  the  procla- 
mation. The  greater  part  of  them  then  dispersed,  but  the 
magistrate  refusing  to  act,  they  took  fresh  courage  and  re- 
turned, when  they  made  a  personal  attack  on  the  house. 
Thinking  Mr.  Wesley  had  escaped,  they  rushed  to  the  tavern 
where  his  horses  were.  They  ordered  the  horses  turned  out, 
which  the  innkeeper  did,  and  sent  them  to  a  neighbor's, 
whither  the  mob  followed  with  their  engine,  but  the  man  to 
wdiom  the  horses  were  sent  seized  his  gun,  and  threatened  tr 
fire  on  them,  which  induced  them  to  retreat.  After  enduring 
such  treatment  for  a  number  of  hours,  a  gentleman  came  and 
said,  "  Sir,  if  you  will  promise  never  to  preach  here  again,  I 
will  engage  to  bring  you  safe  out  of  town."  Mr.  Wesley's 
reply  was,  "  I  shall  promise  no  such  thing  ;  setting  aside  my 
oflice,  I  will  not  give  up  my  birth-right,  as  an  Englishman, 
of  visiting  what  place  I  please  of  his  Majesty's  dominions." 
After  intimating  that  he  had  no  design  of  preaching  there 
again  at  present,  the  gentleman  and  a  constable  went  out  and 
influeirced  the  mob  to  allow  Mr.  Wesley  to  depart  in  peace. 


42  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

Mr.  Wesley  and  his  companion  at  length  mounted  their 
horses,  the  whole  mvxltitude  pouring  down  upon  them  like  a 
torrent,  and  being  ready  to  swallow  them  up ;  such  was  their 
fierceness  and  malice.  Through  the  good  providence  of  God, 
these  persecuted  men  finally  succeeded  in  reaching  a  place 
of  safety,  where  they  raised  their  hymns  of  thanksgiving  to 
God. 

From  these  painful  exhibitions  of  the  depravity  of  the  un- 
renewed heart,  we  learn  the  extreme  danger  to  which  the 
early  Methodists,  and  especially  the  Wesleys,  were  exposed, 
while  going  about  doing  good  ;  and  it  is  certainly  a  matter  of 
astonishment,  that  men,  professed  Christians,  and  professed 
Christian  ministers,  should  not  only  lend  their  aid,  but  even 
incite,  and  personally  participate  in  such  disgraceful  scenes 
of  persecution  ;  yet  so  it  was,  and  these  historical  events 
leave  a  dark  and  uneftaeeable  spot  upon  the  annals  of  that 
church  which  claimed,  and  still  claims  to  be  the  only  pure 
church  of  Jesus  Christ.  Volumes  might  be  filled  with  ac- 
counts of  such  outrages  upon  the  persons  and  properties  of 
peaceable  men,  whose  only  crime  was  preaching  the  gospel 
of  the  Son  of  God  in  what  some  chose  to  call  an  irregular 
and  uncanonical  manner.  But  our  space  will  not  allow  us  to 
make  many  reflections  of  this  character.  We  therefore  pass 
to  the  subject  more  properly  before  us. 

Shortly  after  the  events  transpired  as  above  narrated, 
Charles  Wesley  visited  Ireland,  from  which  place  his  brother 
John  had  recently  returned.  He  was  accompanied  by  his 
friend  Charles  Perronet — son  of  the  Vicar  of  Shoreham — 
who  had  become  one  of  Mr.  Wesley's  preachers.  A  small 
Society  had  been  organized  in  Dublin  a  short  time  previously, 
and  the  first  news  which  Charles  Wesley  had  when  he  land 
ed,  was,  that  a  violent  storm  of  persecution  had  raged  against 
the  infant  society,  ever  since  the  departure  of  John  Wesley. 
The  popish  mob  had  broken  open  their  place  of  worship,  and 


CHARLES    WESLEY.  43 

destroyed  everything  before  them.  Some  of  the  rioters  were 
sent  to  jail,  but  the  grand  jury  refused  to  find  a  bill  against 
them,  and  thus  the  Methodists  were  given  up  to  the  fury  of 
a  lawless  and  bigoted  mob.  Mr.  Charles  Wesley  found  the 
Society  standing  fast  in  the  midst  of  the  fiery  ordeal,  and  he  be- 
came so  much  attached  to  the  members,  because  of  their  simpli- 
city and  piety,  that  he  spent  the  entire  winter  with  them, 
preaching  and  visiting  daily  from  house  to  house.  He  also  made 
frequent  excursions  into  the  country  places  around  Dublin, 
scattering  the  precious  seed  wherever  he  went.  He  subse- 
quently spent  a  part  of  the  year  1748  in  Ireland,  and  preached 
in  several  of  the  larger  towns  and  cities,  and  especially  in 
Cork,  where  his  labors  were  greatly  blessed  to  the  good  of 
the  people. 

In  the  year  1749,  Charles  Wesley  was  united  in  marriage 
to  a  lady  every  way  worthy  of  his  affection,  and  suitable  in 
every  way  to  make  a  useful  and  agreeable  companion.  In 
his  marriage  relations,  he  was  more  fortunate  than  his  brother 
John,  although  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  charms  of  home 
in  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  made  him  much  more  domestic 
in  his  habits,  and  consequently  far  less  active,  than  his  less 
entangled  brother  ;  not  that  he  had  ceased  to  be  actively  en> 
ployed  in  his  Master's  vineyard,  but  less  of  his  time  was  sub- 
sequently given  to  itinerant  labors. 

In  the  year  1750  there  was  a  great  earthquake  in  London. 
Charles  Wesley  was  preaching  in  the  Foundnj  at  five  in  the 
morning,  when  the  second  shock  occurred.  He  had  just 
taken  his  text,  when  the  building  shook  so  violently,  that  all 
expected  it  would  fall  on  their  heads  and  crush  them  beneath 
its  ruins.  A  great  cry  arose  from  the  women  and  children. 
While  the  earth  was  moving  westward  and  eastward,  like  an 
ocean  wave,  and  a  loud,  jarring  noise  like  thunder  was  pro- 
duced, and  while  expecting  every  moment  to  be  their  last, 
Mr  Wesley  rose,  and  cried  out,  "Therefore  ivewill  not  fear, 


44  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

thcmgh  the  earth  be  moved,  and  the  hills  be  carried  into  the 
midst  of  the  sea  ;  for  the  Lord  of  hosts  is  ivith  tis  ;  the  God  of 
Jacob  is  our  refuge."  The  effect  of  this  earthquake  on  the 
minds  of  the  people  of  London  was  so  great,  that  thousands  fled 
from  the  city,  and  places  of  worship  were  thronged  by  day  and 
night.  Thousands  also  left  their  houses  and  sought  safety  in 
the  open  fields,  where  they  remained  all  night.  To  such  Mr, 
Whitefield  preached  at  midnight,  while  Charles  Wesley  at- 
tempted to  comfort  the  affrighted  multitudes  who  remained  in 
their  houses,  or  resorted  to  the  usual  place  of  worship.  This 
unlooked-for  event  was  no  doubt  improved  upon  by  these  and 
other  good  men,  so  that  as  a  result  of  the  fears  begotten  in  the 
public  mind,  many  were  led  to  feel  their  want  of  preparation 
for  death  and  judgment,  and  were  led  to  seek  for  pardon,  and 
a  regenerate  heart  at  the  hand  of  their  Saviour. 

Shortly  after  the  event  above  alluded  to,  Charles  Wesley 
appears  to  have  accepted  a  commission  from  his  brother  John, 
to  travel  through  the  entire  connection,  and  inquire  into  the 
character  of  all  the  preachers, — who  had  now  become  some- 
what numerous — and  also  to  inform  himself  in  relation  to  their 
mode  of  administering  discipline,  and  to  become  more  particu- 
larly acquainted  with  the  state  of  the  Societies  under  their 
care.  In  the  course  of  his  tour  of  inspection,  Charles  saw 
much  to  admire,  and  also  a  few  things  which  caused  deep 
regret.  Among  the  latter  he  discerned  a  growing  disposition 
on  the  part  of  both  preachers  and  people  to  sever  themselves 
in  toto  from  the  Church  of  England.  On  his  return  to  Lon- 
don, after  having  completed  his  tour,  he  attempted  to  prevail 
on  his  brother  to  require  of  every  preacher  employed  by  him 
a  solemn  pledge,  that  they  would  not  make  any  attempt  to 
sever  the  Societies  from  the  Church,  and  to  render  this  course 
still  more  successful,  he  persuaded  John  to  sign  an  agreement 
by  wliich  no  preacher  was  to  be  called  into  the  work,  except 
by  the  joint  consent  of  the  two  brothers.     This  proposed  plan, 


CHARLES    WESLEY.  45 

however,  did  not  succeed  according  to  the  wishes  and  expec- 
tations of  Charles.  The  Societies  and  preachers  had  so  long 
been  accustomed  to  look  up  to  Juhn  as  the  sole  fountain  of 
authority  in  such  matters,  that  any  division  of  liis  power  in 
these  respects  was  not  greatly  relished,  especially  as  John,  in 
all  his  intercourse  with  tho  preachers  and  people,  was  more 
bland  and  lenient  than  Charles  felt  disposed  to  be.  The  re- 
sult of  such  attachment  to  the  authority  of  John  rather  than 
to  that  of  Charles,  very  naturally  led  the  latter  to  suppose  that 
he  had  perhaps  mistaken  his  true  position,  and  led  him  more 
than  ever  to  withdraw  himself  from  public  life,  thus  leaving 
his  brother  to  direct  solely  the  afiairs  of  the  large  and  grow- 
ing connection.  There  was,  however,  no  abatement  of  affec- 
t»n  between  the  brothers,  nor  does  there  appear  to  have  been 
any  degree  of  jealousy  or  ill  feeling  engendered,  although  it  is 
evident  that  there  did  exist  a  difference  of  opinion  between 
them  in  relation  to  the  attachment  of  the  preachers  and  people 
to  the  Church  of  England.  "  Church  or  no  Church,"  said 
John  in  a  letter  to  Charles,  "  we  must  attend  to  the  work  of 
saving  souls."  "  I  neither  set  it  up,  nor  pull  it  down  ;  but 
let  you  and  I  build  the  city  of  God." 

Subsequently  to  these  events,  Charles  Wesley  became  more 
retired  and  domesticated,  travelling  but  little,  except  when  sick- 
ness or  infirmity  on  the  part  of  John  made  it  necessary  for  him 
to  supply  his  brother's  place  in  preaching  in  London,  Bristol, 
and  other  places  ;  and  it  is  a  pleasing  evidence  of  the  con- 
tinued affection  of  the  brothers,  and  of  Charles's  unabated  inte- 
rest for  the  Societies,  that  he  strongly  urged  his  brother  to  "  keep 
his  authority  while  he  lived,  and  after  death  to  let  it  be  given 
to  the  worthiest  individuals.''  "You  cannot,"  he  says,  "settle 
the  succession,  you  cannot  divine  how  God  will  settle  it." 

In  the  year  1784  John  Wesley  resolved  on  erecting  his 
Societies  in  North  America  into  an  independent  Episcopal 
Church,  and  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  his  intentions, 


46  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

solemnly  set  apart  Dr.  Coke,  one  of  his  preachers,  and  a  pres- 
byter of  the  Church  of  England,  to  the  important  office  of 
Superintendent.  Charles  Wesley's  love  for  the  "  Church," 
avi^akened  opposition  to  this  course  of  procedure.  Some  let- 
ters passed  between  the  brothers  on  this  occasion.  At  first, 
Charles  was  warm,  and  remonstrative,  but  on  receiving  his  bro- 
ther's calm  answer,  he  became  mild,  and  assured  his  brother 
of  his  undying  love  and  afiection.  He,  however,  continued  to 
look  with  some  degree  of  suspicion  upon  the  acts  of  Dr.  Coke, 
and  evidently  feared  that  after  his  brother's  death,  the  Doc- 
tor would  resolve  the  English  Societies  into  a  separate  and 
independent  Methodist  Church.  Such  fears,  however,  were 
no  doubt  premature  and  uncalled  for,  as  the  Doctor  knew  full 
well,  that  what  might  be  demanded  by  a  Society  under  an 
independent  Civil  Government  where  there  is  no  church  es- 
tablishment, might  not  be  suitable  for  a  Society  under  difier- 
ent  circuimstances  ;  and  the  result  of  the  establishment  of  an 
independent  Church  in  America,  shows  that  John  Wesley's 
policy  in  providing  for  the  spiritual  wants  of  his  children  was 
by  no  means  a  mistaken  one,  but  has  been  followed  by  the 
best  of  consequences  to  the  Church  and  to  the  world  ;  and 
had  Charles  Wesley  lived  until  the  present  day,  he  would  no 
doubt  have  acknowledged  that  his  brother's  course  was  order- 
ed  in  wisdom,  and  that  in  doing  as  he  did,  he  was  actuated 
and  influenced  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 

On  the  29  th  of  March,  1788,  the  Rev.  Charles  Wesley  depart- 
ed this  life,  in  the  eightieth  year  of  his  age,  and  fifty-third  of 
his  ministry,  and  was  buried  on  the  5th  of  April,  in  Marylebone 
church-yard,  London,  the  pall  being  supported  by  eight  cler- 
gymen of  the  Church  of  England.  lie  had  for  a  long 
time  been  weak  in  body,  and  in  his  last  moments  he  had 
the  most  unshaken  confidence  in  God.  Shortly  before  his 
death  he  dictated  the  following  beautiful  and  expressive 
lines : — 


CHARLES    WESLEY.  47 

"  In  age  and  feebleness  extreme, 
Who  shall  a  sinful  worm  redeem  t 
Jesus,  my  only  hope  thou  art, 
Strength  of  my  failing  flesh  and  heart ; 
0,  could  I  catch  a  smile  from  thee, 
And  drop  into  eternity  !" 

The  character  of  Mr.  Charles  Wesley  has  been  beautifully 
drawn  by  one  of  his  daughters,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend.  In 
speaking  of  some  remarks  made  by  a  certain  author  in  refer- 
ence to  her  deceased  father,  she  says  :  "  Mr.  Moore  seems  to 
think  that  my  father  preferred  rest  to  going  about  doing  good. 
He  had  a  rising  family,  and  considered  it  his  duty  to  confine 
his  labors  to  Bristol  and  London,  where  he  labored  most  sedu- 
lously in  ministerial  affairs,  and  judged  that  it  was  incumbent 
upon  him  to  watch  over  the  youth  of  his  sons,  especially  in  a 
profession  which  nature  so  strongly  pointed  out,  but  which 
was  peculiarly  dangerous.  He  always  said  his  brother  was 
formed  to  lead,  and  he  to  follow.  No  one  ever  rejoiced  more  in 
another's  superiority,  or  was  more  willing  to  confess  it.  Mr. 
Moore's  statement  of  his  absence  of  mind  in  his  younger  days 
is  probably  correct,  as  he  was  born  impetuous,  and  ardent,  and 
sincere.  But  what  a  change  must  have  taken  place  when  we 
were  born  I  For  his  exactness  in  his  accounts,  in  his  manu- 
scripts, in  his  bureau,  &c.,  equalled  my  uncle's.  JNTot  in  his 
dress  indeed ;  for  my  mother  said,  if  she  did  not  watch  over 
him,  he  might  have  put  on  an  old  for  a  new  coat,  and  marched 
out.  Such  was  his  power  of  abstraction,  that  he  could  read 
and  compose  with  his  children  in  the  room,  and  visitors  talk- 
ing around  him.  He  was  near  forty  when  he  married,  and 
had  eight  children,  of  whom  we  were  the  youngest.  So  kind 
and  amiable  a  character  in  domestic  life  can  scarcely  be  im- 
agined. The  tenderness  he  showed  in  every  weakness,  and 
the  sympathy  in  every  pain,  would  fill  sheets  to  describe. 
But  I  am  not  writing  his  eulogy ;  only  I  must  add,  with  so 


48  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

warm  a  temper,  he  never  was  heard  to  speak  an  angry  word 
to  a  servant,  or  known  to  strike  a  child  in  anger, — and  he  knew 
no  guile  !" 

Charles  Wesley  was  a  scholar  of  very  respectable  attain- 
ments, but  what  will  immortalize  his  name  as  long  as  Chris- 
tianity endures,  is  his  poetic  talent.  In  this  department  of 
literary  labor — if  labor  it  may  be  called — we  venture  the  as- 
sertion, that  Charles  Wesley  had  no  superior.  The  justly 
celebrated  Isaac  Watts  was  no  doubt  an  equal  in  many  re- 
spects, and  perhaps  even  a  superior  in  others  ;  but  even  he 
candidly  admitted  that  Charles  Wesley's  "  Wrestling  Jacob" 
was  superior  to  anything  the  former  had  ever  written.  To 
both  of  these  clergymen  the  church  of  God  is  largely  indebt- 
ed for  the  soul-stirring  poetry  found  in  the  devotional  works 
of  nearly  all  Protestant  denominations.  We  will  close  this 
already  extended  article  by  giving,  as  a  specimen  of  Charles 
Wesley's  poetry,  the  following  beautiful  hymn,  On  the  Spread 
of  the  Gospel : 


"  See  how  great  a  flame  aspires, 
Kindled  hy  a  spark  of  grace ! 
Jesus'  love  the  nations  fires. 
Sets  the  kingdoms  in  a  blaze. 
To  bring  fire  on  earth  lie  came, 
Kindled  in  some  hearts  it  is : 
0,  that  all  might  catch  the  flame, 
All  partake  the  glorious  bliss  ! 

When  he  first  the  work  begun, 
Small  and  feeble  was  his  day  : 
Now  the  word  doth  swiftly  run. 
Now  it  wins  its  wid'ning  way  : 
More  and  more  it  spi-oads  and  grows, 
Ever  mighty  to  prevail  ; 
Sin's  strong  holds  it  now  o'erthrows, 
Shakes  the  trembling  gates  of  hell. 


CHARLES   WESLEY.  49 

Sons  of  God,  your  Savionr  praise  ! 

He  the  door  hath  opened  wide  ; 

He  hath  given  the  word  of  grace, 

Jesus'  word  is  glorified ; 

Jesus  mighty  to  redeem, 

He  alone  the  work  hath  wrought, 

Worthy  is  the  work  of  him. 

Him  who  spake  a  world  from  naught. 

Saw  ye  not  the  cloud  arise, 
Little  as  a  human  hand  1 
Now  it  spreads  along  the  skies, 
Hangs  o'er  all  the  thirsty  land ; 
Lo  !  the  promise  of  a  shower 
Drops  already  from  above  ; 
But  the  Lord  will  shortly  pour 
All  the  Spirit  of  his  love  !" 


CHAPTER  HI 

REV.  JOHN  W.   FLETCHER,   A.M. 

John  William  De  La  Flechere  was  born  in  Nyon  in 
Switzerland  (near  Geneva),  on  the  12th  of  September,  1729. 
His  father  was  an  officer  in  the  French  army,  and  intended 
his  son  John  for  the  service  of  the  Church.  He  was  accord- 
ingly placed  while  yet  young  at  the  school  in  Geneva,  where 
he  made  great  proficiency  in  his  studies,  and  distanced  all  his 
competitors  in  their  efforts  to  secure  the  customary  prizes. 
After  quitting  Geneva,  he  was  sent  to  a  small  town  to  perfect 
himself  in  the  study  of  the  German  language,  and  on  his  re- 
turn home  he  applied  himself  to  the  study  of  the  Hebrew 
with  great  diligence  and  assiduity.  In  very  early  life  he  dis- 
covered the  elements  of  Christian  piety,  and  his  thorough  ac- 
quaintance with  the  sacred  Scriptures  preserved  him  from 
falling  into  those  sins  and  follies  so  common  to  the  young. 
He  in  fact  abhorred  sin  from  his  youth  up,  and  in  a  becoming 
manner  always  reproved  it  in  others.  Young  Fletcher  had 
several  remarkable  escapes  from  death  ;  so  remarkaJale  indeed 
that  his  biographer,  Mr.  Wesley,  hesitates  not  to  avow  his 
belief,  that  his  deliverance  in  one  case  was  nothing  short  of 
miraculous.  After  having  completed  his  studies  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Geneva,  contrary  to  the  design  of  his  parents, 
and  contrary  to  his  own  design  hitherto,  he  resolved  to 
become  a  soldier.  His  reasons  for  this  unexpected  step,  as 
afterwards  given  by  himself,  were,  Ist.  His  want  of  quali- 


REV.  J.  W.  FLETCHER. 


JOHN    TV.    FLETCirEB.  51 

fication  for  the  high  and  holy  calling  of  a  minister  of  the 
gospel ;  2dly.  His  scruples  about  subscribing  to  the  doctrine 
of  predestination,  which  he  must  do  if  he  took  orders  in  Swit- 
zerland ;  and  3dly.  His  disapproval  of  entering  the  sacred 
office  for  the  sake  of  a  livelihood,  or  to  obtain  preferment. 
Hence  he  went  to  Lisbon  and  accepted  a  Captain's  commis- 
sion in  the  service  of  the  King  of  Portugal,  designing  to  go 
to  Brazil,  but  an  accident  prevented  his  sailing.  About  this 
period  also  his  uncle  had  obtained  a  commission  for  him  in 
the  Dutch  army,  which  he  resolved  to  accept,  but  the  decla- 
ration of  peace  prevented  his  being  engaged  in  active  service. 
Being  thus  thrown  out  of  active  employment,  he  went  to 
England,  but  not  having  made  himself  acquainted  with  the 
English  language,  he  labored  under  serious  difficulties  in  mak- 
ing his  wants  understood.  While  in  an  inn,  Mr.  Fletcher 
heard  a  well-dressed  Jew  speaking  French,  and  engaged  him 
to  change  his  foreign  money  for  English  currency.  Without 
due  reflection  he  gave  the  man  ninety  pounds  to  exchange  for 
him,  and  on  making  known  the  fact  to  his  companions,  they 
exclaimed  with  one  accord,  "  Your  money  is  gone  ;  you  need 
not  expect  to  see  a  crown  or  doit  of  it  any  more  !"  As  it 
was  all  the  money  Mr.  Fletcher  had,  he  of  course  felt  uneasy 
about  it,  but  in  his  extremity  he  commended  his  cause  to  God, 
and  in  a  short  time  the  Jew  returned,  and  brought  him  the 
whole  of  the  money.  This  little  incident  exhibits  not  only 
the  piety  of  Mr.  Fletcher,  and  his  constant  dependence  on 
God  under  all  circumstances,  but  it  served  to  show  him  the 
importance  of  becoming  acquainted  with  the  English  lan- 
guage. Accordingly  he  soon  placed  himself  at  a  boarding- 
school  for  this  express  purpose,  where  he  also  pursued  the 
study  of  polite  literature.  His  easy  and  affable  manners 
soon  gained  him  the  esteem  and  respect  of  the  town's  people 
where  the  school  was  situated,  and  he  was  a  welcome  guest 
at  the  houses  of  the  first  families  in  the  place. 


52  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

After  remaining  a  year  and  a  half  at  this  school,  and  hav- 
ing perfected  hinnself  in  the  English  tongue,  he  accepted  the 
situation  of  tutor  in  the  family  of  a  Mr.  Hill,  in  Ternhall, 
Shropshire.  A  little  incident  vi'hich  transpired  here,  served 
to  convince  Mr.  Fletcher  that  however  pious  and  God-fearing 
he  might  have  been,  he  v^^as  yet,  like  all  others,  a  fallen  crea- 
ture, and  stood  in  need  of  the  pardoning  mercy  of  God.  One 
Sunday  evening,  a  servant  came  into  his  room  to  make  up  his 
fire,  while  Mr.  Fletcher  was  engaged  in  writing  some  music. 
The  servant,  seriously  and  respectfully,  said,  "  Sir,  I  am  sorry  to 
see  you  so  employed  on  the  Lord's  day."  Although  mortified 
at  being  reproved  by  a  servant,  he  felt  the  reproof  to  be  just, 
immediately  put  away  his  music,  and  ever  after  was  a  strict 
observer  of  the  Sabbath. 

When  Mr.  Hill  went  to  London  to  attend  the  Parliament, 
he  was  accompanied  by  his  family,  and  Mr.  Fletcher.  While 
stopping  at  a  town  on  the  road,  Mr.  Fletcher  walked  out,  and 
did  not  return  until  the  family  had  started  for  London.  A 
horse,  however,  was  left  for  him,  and  he  overtook  the  family 
in  the  evening.  On  being  asked  why  he  stayed  behind,  he 
replied  :  "  As  I  was  walking,  I  met  with  a  poor  old  woman, 
who  talked  so  sweetly  of  Jesus,  that  I  knew  not  how  the  time 
passed  away."  Mrs.  Hill  replied  :  "  I  shall  wonder  if  our 
tutor  does  not  turn  Methodist,  by  and  bye."  "  Methodist, 
madam  !  pray  what  is  that  ?"  "  Why,  the  Methodists  are  a 
people  that  do  nothing  but  pray ;  they  are  praying  all  day 
^  and  all  night."  "Are  they?"  replied  Mr.  Fletcher,  "then 
by  the  help  of  God  I  will  find  them  out,  if  they  be  above 
ground."  He  did  find  them  out  in  London,  and  at  once  be- 
came a  member  of  the  Society.  Hitherto  Mr.  Fletcher  had 
feared  God,  but  he  had  not  as  yet  saving  faith.  This  he  soon 
learned  to  his  grief,  after  having  heard  a  sermon  preached  on 
the  subject  of  faith  by  a  clergyman  of  the  Church.  "  Is  it 
possible,"  said  he,  "  that  I,  who  have  always  been  accounted 


JOHN    W.    FLETCHER.  63 

SO  religious,  who  have  made  divinity  my  study,  and  received 
the  premium  of  piety  from  my  University  for  my  writings  on 
Divine  subjects, — is  it  possible  that  I  should  yet  be  so  igno- 
rant as  not  to  know  what  faith  is  ?"  The  more  he  reflected 
the  more  convinced  he  became  that  he  was  in  fact  a  stranger 
to  the  love  of  God,  that  he  was  a  sinner,  and  deserved  to  be 
damned.  He  finally  resolved,  that  if  sent  to  hell,  he  would 
serve  God  there,  and  that  if  he  could  not  be  an  instance  of 
his  mercy  in  heaven,  he  would  be  a  monument  of  his  justice 
in  hell.  Soon,  however,  he  ventured  to  believe  in  Christ  as  a 
universal  Redeemer,  and  as  his  personal  Saviour,  and  after  a 
hard  and  prolonged  struggle  with  the  powers  of  darkness,  he 
became  a  "  new  man"  in  Christ  Jesus.  Let  not  the  reader 
think  that  Mr.  Fletcher  was  beside  himself,  and  that  he  was 
superstitious  or  fanatical  in  his  efforts  to  obtain  the  favor  of 
God.  Saul  of  Tarsus,  the  tv/o  Wesleys,  and  hundreds  of  the 
great  and  good  before  Mr.  Fletcher's  time,  had  felt  the  bur- 
den of  sin,  and  although  previously  moral  and  virtuous  in 
their  lives,  and  God-fearing  in  their  disposition,  were  never- 
theless constrained  to  exclaim,  "  0,  wretched  man  that  I  am, 
who  shall  deliver  me  from  this  body  of  death  ?"  and  who, 
after  having  exercised  faith  in  Christ,  could  also  exclaim, 
"  There  is,  therefore,  now,  no  condemnation  to  them  who  are 
in  Christ  Jesus,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the 
Spirit ;  for  the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus,  hath 
made  me  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and  death."  And  thus 
Mr.  Fletcher  attained  to  the  adoption  of  a  "son  of  God"  and 
uu  heir  of  heaven. 

After  his  conversion,  Mr.  Fletcher  became  an  eminent  in- 
stance of  vital  piety  ;  his  hopes,  desires,  and  pursuits  became 
totally  changed.  He  now  felt  it  his  duty  to  call  sinners  to 
repentance,  and  an  opening  having  been  made  whereby  he 
could  obtain  a  "  living''  in  the  Church  of  England,  if  he  de- 
sired it,  he  took  counsel  of  Mr.  Wesley  in  relation  to  the  pro- 


64  LIVES    OP   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

priety  of  taking  orders  in  that  Church,  and  on  the  6th  of 
March,  1757,  he  received  deacon's  orders  in  the  Chapel-Royal 
at  St.  James,  from  the  Bishop  of  Bangor,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing Sabbath  was  admitted  to  the  order  of  the  priesthood  by 
the  same  Bishop. 

The  same  day  that  he  was  ordained  priest,  being  informed 
that  Mr.  Wesley  had  no  one  to  assist  him  at  West-street 
Chapel,  as  soon  as  the  ordination  service  was  over,  he  hasten- 
ed to  assist  him  in  the  administration  of  the  Lord's  Supper  ; 
and  from  this  time  forward  fully  identified  himself  with  the 
Methodists  by  co-operating,  as  opportunity  offered,  with  the 
Wesleys  and  their  preachers.  He  soon  afterward  visited  the 
country  places  around  London,  and  preached  in  several  of  the 
churches,  but  his  plain  manner  of  telling  the  truth,  and  above 
all,  the  Divine  unction  which  attended  his  preaching,  offended 
several  of  the  clergymen,  who  closed  their  churches  against 
him. 

In  the  year  175S  there  were  many  French  prisoners  in 
London,  who  desired  Mr.  Fletcher  to  preach  to  them  in  their 
own  language,  which  he  did.  Many  of  them  were  deeply 
affected,  and  desired  him  to  preach  to  them  every  Sabbath. 
They  were,  however,  advised  to  present  a  petition  to  the 
Bishop  of  London  for  leave,  but,  strange  to  say,  the  Bishop  in 
the  most  peremptory  manner  rejected  their  petition.  A  few 
months  after,  his  lordship  died  with  a  cancer  in  his  mouth. 
Mr.  Wesley,  in  reference  to  this  event,  says,  "I  do  not 
think  it  any  breach  of  charity  to  suppose,  that  an  action  so 
unworthy  of  a  Christian  bishop  had  its  punishment  in  this 
world." 

During  the  sessions  of  parliament,  Mr.  Fletcher  was  gene- 
rally in  London  with  his  kind  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill,  the 
latter  of  whom  had  predicted  that  Mr.  F.  would  yet  be  a 
Methodist,  and  whose  prediction  had  indeed  come  to  pass. 
During  the  recess  of  Parliament  Mr.  Fletcher  misht  be  found 


JOHN    yv.    FLETCHEE.  65 

in  his  study  at  Ternhall,  improving  his  mind  and  heart,  and 
walking  closely  with  his  God. 

In  a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Charles  Wesley  to  Mr.  Fletcher, 
the  former  had  intimated  something  in.  relation  to  a  salary 
which  Mr.  Fletcher  should  have  for  his  labors ;  in  reply  to 
this  the  latter  observes :  "To  what  a  monstrous  idea  had  you 
well  nigh  given  birth.  What !  the  labors  of  my  ministry 
imder  you  deserve  salary  !  Alas  I  I  have  done  nothing  but 
dishonor  to  God  hitherto,  and  am  not  in  a  condition  to  do  any- 
thing else  for  the  future.  If,  then,  I  am  permitted  to  stand 
in  the  courts  of  the  Lord's  house,  is  it  not  for  me  to  make  an 
acknowledgment,  rather  than  to  receive  one  ?  If  I  ever  re- 
ceive anything  of  the  Methodist  Church,  it  shall  be  only  as 
an  indigent  beggar  receives  alms,  without  which  he  would 
perish." 

About  this  time,  Mr.  Fletcher's  friends  in  Switzerland 
were  pressing  him  with  invitations  to  return  to  his  own  coun 
try,  but  supposing  their  desires  to  be  purely  the  result  of  nat 
ural  affection,  he  preferred  staying  where  his  time  could  be 
more  profitably  employed  in  aiding  the  Messrs.  Wesley  in  their 
work  of  love.  About  this  time  also  he  received  a  very  polite 
invitation  from  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  to  become  her 
ladyship's  domestic  chaplain,  but  his  engagements  with  the 
Wesleys  prevented  his  acceptance  of  the  kind  offer  ;  so  that 
until  the  following  autumn  his  time  was  mostly  employed  in 
rendering  them  and  their  Societies  all  necessary  assistance. 
In  the  meanwhile  he  had  frequently  assisted  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Chambers,  Vicar  of  Madely — a  place  about  ten  miles  from 
Ternhall — and  had  contracted  a  strong  and  growing  love  for 
the  people  of  that  parish.  Mr.  Chambers  having  accepted  a 
living  in  another  parish,  the  vicarage  of  Madely,  through  the 
interest  of  his  friend,  Mr.  Hill,  was  offered  to  Mr.  Fletcher, 
and  after  having  taken  the  advice  of  the  Messrs.  Wesley 
and  others,  he  concluded  to  accept  the  offer,  and  in  due  form 


58  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

was  instituted  Vicar  of  Madely,  which  relation  he  sustained 
as  long  as  he  lived. 

At  Madely,  a  new  field  of  operation  presented  itself  before 
him.     The  town  was  a  place   of   considerable   importance, 
both  on  account  of  its  manufactures  and  population.     The 
greater  portion  of  the  inhabitants,  however,   were  very  de- 
graded and  vicious.     Ignorance,  profanity,  Sabbath-breaking, 
and  drunkenness,  prevailed  to  an  alarming  extent,  and  even 
the  external  forms  of  religion  were  ridiculed.     Young  per- 
sons of  both  sexes,  at  stated  times,  would  meet  and  spend  the 
entire  night  in  dancing,  revelling,  drunkenness,  and  obscenity. 
These  assemblages  were  truly  a  disgrace  to  the  Christian  name, 
and  frequently  did  Mr.  Fletcher  repair  to  these  scenes  of  dis- 
order and  dissipation,  and  administer  plain,  yet  affectionate 
reproof  to  the  thoughtless  persons  therein  congregated,  and 
frequently  these  reproofs  were  not  in  vain,  for,  although  at 
first  there  might  be  a  burst  of  indignation  at  the  bold  inter- 
ference, his  tears,  his  prayers,  and  exhortations,  would  gene- 
rally be  crowned  with  success.     The  great  mass  of  the  peo- 
ple did  not  attend  public  worship,  and  many  gave  as  an  ex- 
cuse for  non-attendance,  that  they  could  not  wake  early  enough 
to  get  their  families  ready.     To  remedy  this,  Mr.  Fletcher, 
taking  a  bell  in  his  hand,  sallied  out  every  Sunday  morning 
for  some  months  at  five  o'clock,  and  went  round  to  the  most 
distant  parts  of  the  town,  inviting  all  the  inhabitants  to  the 
house  of  worship. 

These  facts  are  stated  merely  as  an  evidence  of  Mr.  Fletch- 
er's ministerial  fidelity  to  the  people  of  his  parish.  But  not- 
withstanding his  fidelity,  he  saw  so  little  fruit  of  his  labors 
that  he  was  frequently  on  the  point  of  leaving  Madely,  and 
giving  himself  wholly  to  the  itinerant  work  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Messrs.  Wesley.  His  greatest  discouragement 
arose  from  the  smallness  of  his  congregations  ;  but  soon  this 
cause  of  despondency  was   removed,  for   not  only  did  his 


JOHN    W.    FLETCHER.  57 

church  become  full,  but  many  had  to  stand  in  the  church- 
yard who  could  not  get  into  the  house.  So  great  indeed  was 
the  crowd  at  times,  that  Mr.  Fletcher's  churchwardens  spoke 
of  hindering  persons  of  other  parishes  from  attending  church 
in  that  place  ;  but  their  faithful  pastor  withstood  them,  and 
was  successful  in  preventing  such  a  disgraceful  proceeding. 

Although  Mr.  Fletcher  was  the  resident  Vicar  of  a  parish, 
he  did  not  confine  his  labors  to  that  parish,  but  wherever  a 
door  opened  for  doing  good  he  was  ready  to  enter  in.  He  fre- 
quently visited  two  villages  not  far  distant  from  Madely, 
where  he  formed  small  societies  of  Methodists.  He  also  regu- 
larly preached  for  many  years  at  places  eight,  ten,  and  sixteen 
miles  off.  Notwithstanding  his  devotion  to  the  cause  of  God, 
Mr.  Fletcher,  like  his  compeers,  the  Wesleys,  was  the  subject 
of  persecution  and  reproach.  And  it  is  lamentable  to  know, 
that,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Wesleys,  so  in  Mr.  Fletcher's  case, 
the  greatest  amount  of  persecution  was  caused  by  the  unprin- 
cipled and  uncalled-for  opposition  of  church-dignitaries,  and 
civil  magistrates,  who  added  threats  to  their  insults,  and  who, 
if  they  did  not  stir  up  the  unholy  passions  of  the  multitude, 
were  perfectly  willing  to  stand  by  and  see  a  faithful  minister 
abused  and  maltreated,  for  no  other  reason  than  that  they 
themselves  "  loved  darkness  rather  than  light,  because  their 
deeds  were  evil." 

The  opposition  of  the  innkeepers,  tipplers,  gamblers,  &c., 
to  Mr.  Fletcher  was  intense,  and  exhibited  itself  in  various 
ways.  On  one  occasion,  a  stout  and  healthy  young  man, 
twenty-four  years  old,  came  to  the  church-yard  in  Madely 
with  a  corpse,  which  was  to  be  buried,  but  refused  to  enter 
the  church.  After  the  burial,  Mr.  Fletcher  expostulated  with 
him,  but  his  answer  was,  that  he  had  bound  himself  not  to 
come  to  church  as  long  as  Mr.  Fletcher  was  there,  and  that 
he  was  prepared  to  take  all  the  consequences  of  his  refusal. 
As  Mr.  Fletcher  turned  away  in  sorrow,  he  could  not  forbear 


68  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

saying  to  the  young  man,  "  I  am  clear  of  your  blood,  hence- 
forth it  is  upon  your  own  head  ;  you  will  not  come  to  church 
upon  your  legs,  prepare  to  come  upon  your  neighbor's  shoul- 
ders." The  young  man  immediately  began  to  waste  away, 
and  in  three  months  was  buried  on  the  very  spot  where 
the  above  conversation  was  had.  Mr.  F.  visited  him  during 
his  sickness,  when  "  he  seemed  as  tame  as  a  wolf  in  the  trap." 
Mr.  Fletcher  not  only  labored  assiduously  for  the  benefit  of 
his  parishioners,  but  he  frequently  invited  Rev's.  John  and 
Charles  Wesley  to  visit  his  parish,  and  preach  in  his  church. 
He  also  invited  Mr.  Wesley's  preachers  to  visit  his  parish, 
and  take  the  charge  of  the  Methodist  Societies  which  he  had 
raised  up.  He  also  invited  the  Rev.  George  Whitefield  to 
visit  his  parish,  and  in  his  letter  of  invitation  on  one  occasion 
he  says:  "Last  Sunday  sevennight  Captain  Scott  preached 
to  my  congregation  a  sermon  which  was  more  blessed,  though 
preached  only  upon  my  horse-block,  than  a  hundred  of  those 
I  preach  in  my  pulpit.  I  invited  him  to  come  and  treat  her 
ladyship  (Countess  of  Huntingdon)  next  Sunday  with  another, 
now  the  place  is  consecrated.  If  you  should  ever  favor 
Shropshire  with  your  presence,  you  shall  have  the  Captain's 
or  the  parson's  pulpit  at  your  option."  A  distinction  is  here 
drawn  between  the  "  Captain's  and  the  parson's  pulpit." 
The  "  Captain"  and  Mr.  Wesley's  lay  preachers  not  having 
been  episcopally  ordained,  could  not  legally  be  admitted  to  the 
pulpit  of  the  parish  church,  while  Mr.  Whitefield  and  the 
Wesleys,  having  received  episcopal  ordination,  could  lawfully 
be  invited  to  preach  in  the  same.  Hence  if  Captain  Scott 
and  Mr.  Wesley's  lay  preachers  did  not  occupy  Mr.  Fletcher's 
pulpit,  it  was  only  because  the  law  would  not  allow  it  ;  while 
the  horse-block,  or  the  desk  of  the  Society-house,  or  a  room  in 
Mr.  Fletcher's  parsonage,  were  always  open  for  the  public 
services  of  those  men  of  God  who  were  called  to  the  v/ork 
of  the  ministry  without  episcopal  authority. 


JOHN    W.    FLETCHER.  59 

In  1765,  Mr.  Fletcher  visited  diflerent  parts  of  England, 
and  while  spending  a  few  Sabbaths  at  a  place  called  Breedon, 
Leicestershire,  people  flocked  to  hear  him  from  all  the  adja- 
cent parishes.  The  clerk  of  the  church  being  offended  at  the 
large  attendance  of  people,  because  it  increased  his  labor  in 
cleaning  the  church,  &c.,  placed  himself  at  the  door,  and  de- 
manded a  penny  of  every  stranger  who  entered.  Mr.  Fletcher 
having  been  informed  of  the  fact,  at  the  close  of  the  service, 
said  to  the  congregation,  "  I  have  heard  that  the  clerk  of  this 
parish  has  demanded,  and  has  actually  received  money  from 
divers  strangers,  before  he  would  suffer  them  to  enter  the 
church.  I  desire  that  all  who  have  paid  money  in  this  way 
for  hearing  the  gospel,  will  come  to  me,  and  I  will  return 
what  they  have  paid.  And  as  to  this  iniquitous  clerk,  his 
money  perish  with  him." 

In  the  year  1770,  Mr.  Fletcher  paid  a  visit  to  his  native 
land,  and  in  addition  to  visiting  Switzerland,  he  and  his 
friend,  Mr.  Ireland,  travelled  through  the  greater  part  of 
France  and  Italy.  The  five  months  spent  in  this  tour  were 
not,  however,  lost,  as  wherever  Mr.  Fletcher  went,  he  tried 
to  make  himself  useful  to  the  souls  of  his  felloW-men.  He 
even  visited  the  Eoman  Catholic  monasteries  and  convents, 
and  conversed  freely  and  boldly  with  the  most  serious  of  their 
inmates.  So  great  indeed  was  his  boldness  of  speech  toward 
many  of  the  priests  and  others,  that  his  life  and  that  of  his 
friend  were  frequently  in  danger.  He  attended  the  Popes 
chapel  in  Rome,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Ireland,  who  only  con- 
sented to  go  after  having  extorted  a  promise  from  Mr.  Fletcher, 
that  the  latter  would  not  speak  by  way  of  censure  or  reproof 
at  what  he  saw  or  heard.  While  travelling  in  a  part  of 
Italy  they  approached  the  "  Appian  Way."  Mr.  Fletcher 
directed  the  driver  to  stop,  and  he  descended  from  the  car- 
riage, assuring  Mr.  Ireland  that  his  heart  would  not  suffer  him 
to  ride  over  that  ground,  upon  which  the  apostle  Paul  had 


fid  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS, 

walked,  chained  to  a  soldier,  on  account  of  having  preached 
the  Gospel.  As  soon  as  he  alighted,  he  reverently  took  off" 
his  hat,  and  walked  with  his  eyes  upraised  to  heaven,  while 
he  thanked  God  that  England  was  favored  with  the  gospel 
in  its  purity,  and  prayed  that  Eome  might  also  share  in  the 
same  glorious  blessing. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  in  his  native  town,  the  clergy  of 
Nyon  vied  with  each  other  in  doing  him  distinguished  honor. 
They  severally  pressed  him  to  honor  their  pulpits  during  his 
stay,  and  on  the  Sabbath  after  his  arrival,  he  preached  in  one 
of  the  churches  to  a  large  and  attentive  congregation,  and 
continued  during  his  sojourn  in  the  place  to  draw  large  and 
crowded  audiences,  who  were  charmed  with  his  eloquence, 
and  listened  to  him  as  though  he  was  something  more  than 
man. 

During  his  tour,  he  also  made  a  visit  to  the  Hugonots,  or 
French  Protestants,  in  the  south  of  France.  Such  was  his 
respect  for  the  people,  whose  fathers  had  laid  down  their  lives 
for  the  gospel,  that  he  positively  refused  to  ride  to  the  Cevennes 
Mountain,  where  these  people  resided,  but  persisted  in  accom- 
plishing the  journey  on  foot.  He  accordingly  clothed  himself 
in  the  plainest  garb,  and  with  his  staff  in  his  hand,  made  his 
appearance  among  them.  He  was  everywhere  received  as  a 
messenger  of  God,  even  the  profane  and  vicious  acknowledged 
that  he  spoke  with  authority,  and  instances  were  given  of  his 
success  in  winning  souls  to  Christ  in  his  journeys  through 
these  mountains. 

After  having  accomplished  the  object  of  their  travels,  the 
two  friends  returned  to  England,  and  such  was  the  estimation 
in  which  Mr.  Ireland  held  his  friend,  who  had  been  his 
almost  constant  companion  for  five  months,  that  had  he  been 
an  angel  in  human  form,  he  could  have  esteemed  him  no 
higher. 

About  this  time,  the  Countess  of   Huntingdon  erected  a 


JOHN    W.    FLETCHER.  61 

theological  seminary  at  Trevecka,  in.  Wales,  for  the  purpose 
of  educating  jdous  young  men  for  the  ministry,  either  of  the 
establishment,  the  Wesleyan  body,  or  the  dissenting  churches. 
To  the  superintendency  or  presidency  of  this  seminary,  Mr. 
Fletcher  was  called  by  the  Countess  ;  not  that  she  expected 
him  to  leave  his  charge  in  Madely,  but  that  he  should  occa- 
sionally visit  the  institution,  and  give  advice  m  relation  to  the 
appointment  of  teachers,  and  the  admission  or  rejection  of 
students  ;  to  direct  in  the  course  of  study ;  and  judge  of  their 
qualifications  for  the  work  of  the  ministry.  Mr.  Fletcher 
willingly  accepted  the  invitation,  and  undertook  the  charge 
without  fee  or  reward,  while  Rev.  Joseph  Benson,  one  of 
Mr.  Wesley's  preachers,  and  Head-Master  of  the  Wesleyan 
School  at  Kingswood,  was,  on  Mr.  Wesley's  recommendation, 
appointed  Second-Master  of  the  Seminary  under  Mr.  Fletcher. 
The  visits  of  the  latter  to  the  Seminary  were  always  seasons 
of  refreshing  to  the  pious  stvidents.  Instead  of  haranguing 
them  with  long  metaphysical  disquisitions  on  some  branch  of 
abstruse  science  or  philosophy,  he  would  talk  to  them  about 
the  love  of  Jesus,  and  would  generally  close  by  saying,  "As 
many  of  you  as  are  athirst  for  the  fulness  of  the  Spirit,  follow 
me  into  my  room."  There  they  would  spend  two  or  three 
hours  in  prayer,  wrestling  Jacob-like  for  the  blessing  of  per- 
fect love.  On  one  of  these  occasions,  Mr.  Fletcher  was  so 
filled  with  the  love  of  God,  that  he  felt  he  could  contain 
no  more,  and  cried  out,  "  0,  my  God,  withhold  thy  hand 
or  the  vessel  will  burst !"  In  reference  to  this  expression, 
Mr.  Fletcher  afterAvard  told  Mr.  Benson,  he  was  afraid  he  had 
grieved  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  that  he  ought  rather  to  have 
prayed  that  the  Lord  would  have  enlarged  the  vessel,  or  suf- 
fered it  to  break. 

Thus  did  this  man  of  God  labor  to  improve  the  moral 
and  spiritual,  as  well  as  the  intellectual  gifts  of  his  students ; 
and  thus,  during  his  superintendency  of  the  institution,  did 


62  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

the  latter  flourish  and  grow  in  utility,  and  more  than  met 
the  anticipations  of  its  excellent  founder.  At  length  religious 
dissensions  began  to  be  fostered  among  the  patrons  of  the 
school.  Her  ladyship,  through  the  influence  of  prejudiced 
counsellors,  dismissed  Mr.  Benson  from  being  Head-Master, 
because  he  could  not  endorse  the  doctrine  of  predestination. 
Mr.  Benson,  as  in  duty  bound,  informed  Mr.  Fletcher  of  the 
fact,  and  the  latter  in  writing  to  the  Countess  says :  "  Mr. 
Benson  made  a  very  just  defence,  when  he  said  he  held  with 
me  the  possibility  of  salvation  for  all  men ;  that  mercy  is  of- 
fered to  all,  and  yet  may  be  rejected  or  received.  If  this  be 
what  your  ladyship  calls  Mr.  Wesley's  opinion,  free  will,  and 
Arminianism,  and  if  '  every  Arminian  must  quit  the  college,' 
I  am  actually  discharged  also.  For  in  my  present  view 
of  things,  I  must  hold  that  sentiment,  if  I  believe  that  the 
Bible  is  true,  and  that  God  is  love.  For  my  part,  I  am  no 
party  man.  In  the  Lord,  I  am  your  servant,  and  that  of  your 
every  student,  but  I  cannot  give  up  the  honor  of  being  con- 
nected with  my  old  friends.  *  *  *  Mr.  Wesley  shall  always 
be  welcome  to  my  pulpit,  and  I  shall  gladly  bear  my  testi- 
mony in  his,  as  well  as  in  Mr.  Whitefield's.  But  if  your 
ladyship  forbid  your  students  to  preach  for  the  one,  and  offer 
them  to  preach  for  the  other  at  every  turn  ;  and  if  a  master 
is  discarded  for  believing  that  Christ  died  for  all ;  then  preju- 
dice reigns ;  charity  is  cruelly  wounded  ;  and  party-spirit 
shouts,  prevails,  and  triumphs." 

That  the  reader  may  understand  the  true  position  of  the 
parties  in  this  affair,  it  is  perhaps  necessaiy  to  remark,  that 
the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  was  a  Methodist  of  the  White- 
fieldian  School  ;  that  her  chaplain,  the  Hon.  and  Rev.  Wal- 
ter Shirley,  her  own  brother,  was  a  violent  predestinarian  ;  and 
that  about  this  time  there  was  much  controversy  between  the 
predestinarians  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  Arminians  on  the 
other.     Besides,  Mr.  Wesley  and  his  preachers  in  Conference 


JOHN    W.    FLETCHER,  63 

capacity  had  recently  taken,  strong  ground  against  the  pecu- 
liar doctrines  of  Calvinism,  and  Mr.  Fletcher  and  Mr.  Ben- 
son were  well  known  to  be  advisers  of  Mr.  Wesley's  course 
in  this  respect.  Hence  the  dismission  of  Mr.  Benson,  and  as 
might  be  expected  the  subsequent  resignation  of  Mr.  Fletcher 
of  the  presidency  of  the  College.  In  the  meanwhile,  Mr. 
Shirley,  above  alluded  to,  having  taken  umbrage  at  the  doc- 
trines promulgated  in  the  Wesleyan  '•  Minutes  of  Conference," 
issued  a  "  Circular  Letter"  to  the  evangelical  Clergymen  of 
England,  protesting  against  the  doctrines  of  Arminianism, 
and  inviting  them  to  meet  in  Bristol  at  the  next  session  of  the 
Wesleyan  Conference,  and  go  in  a  body  to  the  Conference, 
and  demand  a  retraction  of  the  offensive  doctrines  !  which 
they  actually  attempted  to  do,  but  were  very  properly  refused 
an  audience  by  Mr.  Wesley  and  his  Conference,  until  they 
were  willing  to  meet  as  friends  and  not  as  beUigerents. 

The  occasion,  however,  called  out  Mr.  Fletcher  in  a  new 
character,  that  of  a  polemic  writer.  Hitherto  he  appears  as 
the  pious,  useful  pastor  ;  as  the  learned  and  truly  dignified 
president  of  a  College  ;  but  now  buckling  on  the  whole  ar- 
mor of  truth,  and  seizing  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  he  marches 
out  into  the  field  of  moral  warfare,  and  bids  defiance  to  the 
machinations  of  the  prejudiced,  and  hurls  his  weapons  of  war 
into  the  camp  of  error.  No  sooner  had  he  received  Mr.  Shir- 
ley's Circular,  than  he  at  once  began  the  preparation  of  his 
"  Checks  to  Antinomianism  ;"  a  work  which  does  immortal 
honor  to  the  head  and  heart  of  the  author,  and  which  no  doubt 
will  be  read  and  admired  as  long  as  error  shall  demand  an 
antidote.  In  speaking  of  these  "  Checks"  Mr.  Wesley  ob- 
serves :  "  How  much  good  has  been  occasioned  by  the  publi- 
cation of  that  Circular  Letter  I  This  was  the  happy  occasion 
of  Mr.  Fletcher's  writing  those  '  Checks  to  Antinomianism,'  in 
which  one  knows  not  which  to  admire  most,  the  purit7j  o{  the 
language  (such  as  scarce  any  foreigner  ever  "wrote  before) ; 


64  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

the  Strength  and  clearness  of  the  argument ;  or  the  mildness 
and  siueetness  of  the  spirit  that  breathes  throughout  the 
•whole.  Insomuch  that  1  wonder  not  at  a  serious  Clergyman, 
who  being  resolved  to  live  and  die  in  his  own  opinion,  when 
he  was  pressed  to  read  them  replied,  '  No,  I  will  never  read 
Mr.  Fletcher's  Cheeks  :  for  if  I  did  I  should  be  of  his  mind.'  " 
Thus  was  Mr.  Fletcher,  before  he  was  aware  of  it,  a  con- 
troversial author,  and  it  was  because  of  his  peculiar  fitness 
for  this  particular  part  of  ministerial  duty,  that  ever  after  his 
well-pointed  pen  was  employed  almost  constantly  in  defence 
of  what  he  sincerely  believed  to  be  truth.  His  numerous  po- 
lemic works  were  printed  at  Mr.  Wesley's  press  in  London, 
and  in  this  way  he  rendered  the  latter  much  more  efficient 
service,  than  though  he  had  been  actively  employed  in  the 
itinerant  field.  And  in  engaging  in  controversy  as  much  as 
Mr.  Fletcher  did,  he  felt  in  his  own  soul,  as  though  he  was 
serving  the  interests  of  the  bleeding  cause  of  Christ  as  much, 
or  more  than  he  could  do  in  any  other  way.  To  give  his 
views  on  the  subject  of  conti'oversy  and  also  to  show  his  com- 
mand of  the  English  language — Swiss  though  he  Avas — we 
will  favor  the  reader  with  an  extract  from  one  of  his  contro- 
versial works  :  "  Some  of  our  friends  will  undoubtedly  blame 
us  for  not  dropping  the  contested  point ;  but  others  will  can- 
didly consider  that  controversy  though  not  desirable  in  itself, 
yet  properly  managed,  has  a  hundred  times  rescued  truth 
groaning  under  the  lash  of  triumphant  error.  We  are  indebt- 
ed to  our  Lord's  controversies  with  the  Pharisees  and  scribes, 
for  a  considerable  part  of  the  four  gospels.  And  to  the  end 
of  the  world  the  Church  will  bless  God  for  the  spirited  man- 
ner in  which  St.  Paul  in  his  Epistles  to  the  Romans,  and  Ga- 
latians  defended  the  controverted  point  of  a  believer's  present 
justification  by  faith,  as  well  as  for  the  steadiness  with  which 
St.  James,  St.  John,  St.  Peter,  and  St.  Jude  carried  on  their 
important  controversy  with  the  Nicolaitans,  who  abused  St. 


JOHN    W.    FLETCHER,  65 

Paul's  doctrine  to  antinomian  purposes.  Had  it  not  been  for 
controvers}',  Romish  priests  would  to-day,  feed  us  with  Latin 
masses,  and  a  icafer-god.  Some  bold  propositions  advanced 
by  Luther,  brought  on  the  R,efi)rmation.  They  were  so  irra- 
tionally attacked  by  the  infatuated  Papists,  and  so  scripturally 
defended  by  the  resolute  Protestants,  that  these  kingdoms 
opened  their  eyes,  and  saw  thousands  of  images  and  errors  fall 
before  the  ark  of  evangelical  truth." 

Previous  to  the  year  1773,  Mr.  Fletcher's  health  had  been 
somewhat  on  the  decline,  in  consequence  of  his  exposure  to 
all  kinds  of  weather,  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  which  greatly 
impaired  his  strength  and  constitution.  He  was  able  however 
to  perform  all  his  clerical  duties  without  much  intermission. 
In  the  former  part  of  this  year,  he  v/rote  a  long  letter  to  Mr. 
Wesley,  in  which  he  intimated  that  he  had  doubts  about  the 
propriety  of  his  remaining  longer  at  Madely,  and  expresses 
his  willingness,  if  Providence  opened  the  way,  to  resume  his 
office  as  Mr.  Wesley's  "deacon."  "And  as  the  little  estate 
I  have  in  my  own  country,"  he  observes,  "  is  sufficient  for 
my  maintenance,  I  have  thought  I  would  one  day  or  other 
ofler  you  and  the  Methodists  \i\y  free  services."  "  I  can  nev- 
er believe,"  says  Mr.  Wesley  in  referring  to  this  letter,  "  that 
it  was  the  will  of  God  that  such  a  burning  and  shining  light 
should  be  hid  under  a  bushel.  No,  instead  of  being  confined 
to  a  country  village  it  ought  to  have  shone  in  every  corner  of 
the  land."  But  the  way  for  his  leaving  Madely  did  not  seem 
to  open,  so  that  he  continued  his  pastoral  relation  to  that  par 
ish,  as  before  stated,  while  he  lived.  His  health,  however, 
being  poor,  he  supplied  his  parish  with  a  curate,  and  accepted 
an  invitation  from  Mr.  Wesley  to  accompany  him  in  a  tour 
through  difierent  parts  of  England.  Accordingly,  he  spent 
the  greater  part  of  the  year,  in  travelling  with  the  latter  some 
twelve  hundred  miles,  mostly  on  horseback,  and  only  stopped 
in  his  tour  for  the  purpose  of  writing  an  answer  to  a  work 

5 


ft*  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

which  had  been  lately  published  by  a  Mr.  Evans  and  D\ 
Price,  and  also  to  supply  the  pulpit  in  Madely,  as  his  curate 
had  left  the  parish.  His  return  to  active  labor,  however,  in- 
creased the  violence  of  his  disease,  so  that  his  physician  for- 
bade his  preaching.  He  consequently  secured  the  services 
of  another  curate,  and  spent  the  greater  part  of  the  ensuing 
summer  at  the  Hot  Springs,  but  without  any  material  im- 
provement of  his  health. 

In  the  fall  of  1776,  he  again  joined  Mr.  Wesley  in  a  tour 
through  various  parts  of  England,  and  at  the  close  of  the 
same  accompanied  him  to  London,  but  in  the  winter  he  re- 
tired to  a  friend's  house  in  Newington,  where  he  spent  the 
most  of  the  time  in  writing  Christian  letters  to  his  parishion- 
ers and  other  friends,  although  his  disease  (spitting  of  blood) 
would  not  allow  him  to  converse  much.  In  the  spring  of 
1777,  he  went  to  Bristol,  and  Bath,  and  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  summer,  as  his  health  still  continued  poor,  resolved  on 
making  another  journey  to  Switzerland.  But  he  did  not  leave 
England  until  the  beginning  of  December,  when  in  company 
with  Mr.  Ireland,  and  two  of  his  daughters,  he  sailed  for  the 
south  of  France.  ,  His  journey  appearing  to  benefit  him,  he 
proceeded  to  Rome  and  various  parts  of  Italy.  While  in 
Rome,  as  he  and  Mr.  Ireland  were  one  day  going  through  the 
streets  in  a  coach,  they  met  the  Pope  in  an  open  carriage  ;  and 
as  the  custom  was  for  all  to  leave  their  carriages  and  kneel 
when  they  met  the  pope,  and  as  a  refusal  to  do  so  would  draw 
on  them  the  vengeance  of  the  multitude,  our  friends  were 
placed  in  somewhat  of  a  strait  in  reference  to  how  they  ought 
to  act.  To  kneel  to  a  pope  they  could  not ;  the  coachman 
was  terrified,  and  knew  not  what  to  do  ;  lie  finally  succeeded 
in  reining  his  horses  into  a  narrow  passage,  until  his  Holiness 
had  passed  by. 

After  having  visited  various  parts  of  France  and  Italy,  he 
proceeded  to  Nyon,  his  native  place,  from  which  he  wrote  to 


JOHN    W.    FLETCHER.  67 

John  and  Charles  Wesley.  In  Nyon,  he  was  able  to  preach 
but  three  or  four  times,  but  he  spent  much  time  in  instruct- 
ing and  catechizing  tlie  children,  and  in  writing  epistles  as 
usual  to  friends  in  England.  His  health  during  his  prolonged 
stay  in  his  native  country  was  so  vacillating,  that  it  was  not 
till  the  summer  of  17S1  that  he  ventured  to  return  to  Eng- 
land. After  having  visited  London  and  preached  in  the 
Wesleyan  New  Chapel,  he  proceeded  to  Bristol,  near  which 
he  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  Mr.  Rankin,  who  during  his 
absence  had  returned  from  America,  and  while  Mr.  Rankin 
was  relating  the  progress  of  the  work  of  God  in  that  distant 
portion  of  the  field,  Mr.  Fletcher  would  frequently  stop  him, 
and  pour  out  his  soul  to  God  for  the  prosperity  of  the  Ameri- 
can brethren.  After  a  few  days  he  set  out  for  his  beloved 
parish,  and  was  aflectionately  received  by  his  people,  who 
were  warmly  endeared  to  him  by  a  thousand  sacred  ties. 

Hitherto  Mr.  Fletcher  had  led  a  single  life,  having  never 
been  married.  In  early  life  he  had  formed  an  acquaintance 
with  a  devotedly  pious  and  estimable  young  lady,  but  without 
having  seriously  entertained  thoughts  of  marriage.  After  his 
return  from  Switzerland  the  second  time,  he  providentially 
renewed  his  acquaintance  with  the  same  person,  who  had 
suffered  much  during  her  life,  for  her  devotion  to  the  cause 
of  Christ.  As  there  appeared  to  be  no  impediment  to  the 
union,  Mr.  Fletcher  and  Miss  Bosanquet  were  united  in  holy 
matrimony.  This  lady  M'as  of  respectable  family,  and  was 
possessed  of  a  competent  fortune.  In  early  life,  she  became 
a  subject  of  saving  grace,  and  soon  united  with  one  of  Mr. 
Wesley's  Societies.  It  appeared  from  subsequent  develop- 
ments that  both  of  these  persons  while  young  had  formed 
an  attachment  for  each  other,  and  had  concluded  in  their 
own  m^inds,  that  if  they  ever  married  it  would  be  to  each 
other.    But  Mr.  Fletcher,  who  had  imbibed  a  disrelish  for  the 


68  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

marriage  state,  solely  on  the  ground  that  he  believed  a  person 
could  not  be  as  holy  and  useful  in  this,  as  in  a  single  slate, 
prudently  and  with  great  sacrifice  of  feeling  no  doubt,  abstain- 
ed from  making  his  attachment  known  to  the  lady,  and  she 
perhaps  for  similar  reasons,  had  hid  her  own  feelings  within 
her  own  heart.  At  the  time  of  their  marriage,  however,  prov- 
idence seemed  to  open  the  way  for  their  union,  and  the  pious 
and  useful  Miss  Bosanquet  became  the  holy  devoted  wife  of 
Mr.  Fletcher.  This  union  was  followed  by  the  best  of  conse- 
quences, for  instead  of  drawing  their  afiections  in  any  measure 
from  God,  it  only  served  to  increase  the  flame  of  divine  love, 
and  make  their  united  labors  more  acceptable  and  efhcient  to 
the  church  of  Christ.  Like  Zacharias  and  Elizabeth  of  old, 
these  holy  persons  "  walked  in  all  the  ordinances  and  com- 
mandments of  the  Lord  blameless." 

In  the  summer  of  1784,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fletcher  having  been 
repeatedly  urged  and  invited  by  several  pious  people  in  Dub- 
lin to  visit  the  Methodist  Society  in  that  city,  they  accepted 
the  invitation,  and  although  they  remained  there  but  a  short 
time,  they  were  instrumental  in  accomplishing  much  good, 
and  when  they  returned  to  England  they  left  behind  them  a 
large  circle  of  warm-hearted  pious  friends,  whose  attachment 
to  them  had  become  ripened  by  the  influence  of  Christian  love 
and  affection. 

About  four  years  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Fletcher  was  seiz- 
ed with  his  last  illness,  which  was  only  of  a  week's  continu- 
ance, and  on  the  14th  of  August,  1785,  he  departed  this  life 
in  hope  of  a  blissful  and  glorious  resurrection.  Thus  died  one 
of  the  holiest  men  that  probably  had  lived  from  the  days  of 
the  Apostle  John — "  a  pattern  of  holiness" — as  described  by 
Mr.  Wesley  in  the  notice  of  his  death  in  the  Minutes  of  the 
Wesleyan  Conference, — a  man  who  of  all  others  had  an  eye 
single  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  one  who,  next  to  Wesley,  did 


JOHN    W.    FLETCHER.  69 

more  than  any  other  man  of  his  times  to  advance  the  cause 
of  Wesleyan  theology  and  sound  Arminian  doctrine.  He  was 
buried  in  Madely  churcli-yard,  honored  and  lamented  by  all 
who  knew  him,  and  by  none  more  so,  than  his  friend  and  broth- 
er the  E.ev.  John  Wesley. — "Peace  to  his  ashes." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

REV.    JOSEPH    BENSON,    A.M. 

This  distinguislierl  Methodist  minister  was  born  in  Melmer- 
dy,  County  of  Cumberland,  England,  on  the  25th  day  of  Jan- 
uary, 1748.  His  father  was  a  farmer  of  good  character,  and 
in  comfortable  circumstances ;  and  who  designed  his  son  for 
the  ministry  of  the  English  established  Church.  At  a  very 
early  age  Joseph  became  the  subject  of  serious  religious  im- 
pressions, which  never  wore  off,  until  he  became  the  happy 
partaker  of  the  saving  grace  of  God  through  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ. 

While  yet  young,  Joseph  was  placed  at  the  village  school, 
and  afterwards  under  the  care  of  a  Presbyterian  minister 
named  Dean,  who  was  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in 
the  village  where  his  father  resided.  He  continued  under  this 
gentleman's  instruction  pursuing  a  course  of  classical  study, 
until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  became  a  teacher 
in  a  school  in  a  neighboring  town,  where  he  remained  for  one 
year.  It  was  while  engaged  in  this  school,  that  Joseph  be- 
came convinced  that  notwithstanding  his  morality  he  must 
be  born  again  before  he  could  see  the  kingdona  of  God.  Through 
the  influence  of  a  pious  cousin,  and  the  knowledge  gained  by 
reading  Mr.  Wesley's  sermons,  and  hearing  Methodist  preach- 
ing he  was  at  length  constrained  to  trust  in  Jesus  Christ  as 
his  personal  Saviour,  and  he  obtained  the  witness  of  his  adop- 
tion into  the  family  of  God. 

After  his  conversion,  he  united  with  a  Methodist  Society. 


JOSEPH    BENSON.  7l 

This  step  gave  great  oflence  tc  his  father,  who  was  a  zealous 
son  of ''the  church,"  and  beheving  that  he  would  take  but 
little  comfort  at  home,  on  account  of  his  father's  opposition, 
and  there  being  but  little  opportunity  for  improving  his  mind 
there,  Joseph  with  his  father's  consent,  left  the  parental  man- 
sion, and  parted  from  his  father,  both  being  overcome  by  a 
flood  of  tears.  The  farewell  words  they  spoke  were  the  last 
they  ever  spoke  to  each  other,  as  father  and  son  never  met 
again  on  earth. 

At  this  eventful  period  in  the  history  of  his  life,  Mr.  Benson 
was  only  seventeen  years  of  age — an  age  of  all  others  when 
a  young  man  needs  the  aid  of  parental  restraint  and  advice. 
Besides,  he  had  but  a  small  portion  of  this  world's  gear  to 
take  with  him — so  little  indeed,  that  his  legs  and  feet  had  to 
answer  in  the  place  of  horses  and  carriage  while  pursuing  his 
outward  journey.  Before  leaving  home,  Joseph  had  heard 
that  there  was  a  vacancy  in  the  office  of  Classical  master  in 
Mr.  Wesley's  school  in  Kingswood.  He  accordingly  bent  his 
steps  towards  Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  where  he  hoped  to  meet 
Mr.  Wesky  ;  the  latter,  however,  had  left  for  London  before 
he  arrived.  Being  disappointed  in  securing  a  passage  on  board 
of  a  vessel  to  London,  Mr.  Benson  commenced  the  journey  on 
foot,  although  in  the  depth  of  winter.  He  had  not  proceeded 
far,  however,  before  he  fell  in  company  with  a  gentleman 
who  was  acquainted  with  Mr.  Wesley,  and  who  after  learning 
the  particulars  of  young  Benson's  case,  kindly  paid  his  stage 
fare  to  London.  On  his  arrival  at  the  latter  city  he  was  again 
disappointed  about  meeting  Mr.  Wesley ;  he,  however,  re- 
mained in  the  city  about  four  weeks,  and  shortly  after  receiv- 
ed the  appointment  of  Classical  master  in  Kingswood  School. 
The  appointment  thus  conferred  upon  him,  shows  the  confi- 
dence which  Mr.  Wesley  had  in  the  piety  and  classical  at- 
tainments of  one  so  young  ;  and  this  confidence  was  not  mis- 
placed, as  Mr.  Benson's  subsequent  history  proves. 


72  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

After  his  arrival  at  Kingswood,  he  entered  upon  the  duties 
of  his  office  with  a  degree  of  zeal  and  ardor  peculiar  to  him- 
self, and  by  his  knovi'ledge  of  the  classics,  and  his  manner  of 
imparting  instruction,  soon  gained  not  only  the  confidence 
of  his  pupils,  but  the  further  confidence  and  respect  of  Mr. 
Wesley. 

While  engaged  in  Kingswood  he  made  his  first  attempts  at 
preaching.  Being  destitute  of  natural  talents  for  extempora- 
neous efforts,  it  was  with  some  difficulty  that  he  could  be  pre- 
vailed upon  to  pray  publicly,  and  preach  to  the  colliers  in  the 
neighborhood.  But  although  slow  of  speech,  his  labors  were 
greatly  blessed  to  the  good  of  the  scholars  committed  to  his 
care,  so  much  so,  that  several  of  them  were  awakened  to  a 
sense  of  sin,  and  were  led  to  Christ.  He  remained  at  the 
school  in  Kingswood  for  nearly  four  years,  and  when  he  left 
it,  he  wa:s  followed  by  the  best  wishes  and  respects  of  all  who 
knew  him,  or  had  been  benefited  by  his  instructions. 

In  1769  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  founded  a  college  in 
Wales  for  the  benefit  of  young  men  who  were  candidates  for 
the  ministry  in  the  established  Church,  or  in  either  of  the 
evangelical  dissenting  churches.  To  the  presidency  of  this 
institution,  Mr.  Fletcher,  as  stated  in  the  preceding  chapter, 
-was  duly  appointed  by  her  ladyship.  On  the  recommendation 
of  Mr.  Wesley,  and  the  advice  of  Mr.  Fletcher,  Mr.  Benson 
was  appointed  Head  Master  of  the  College,  a  situation  at  once 
awfully  responsible,  and  the  duties  of  which  were  complicated 
and  arduous,  especially  for  a  young  man  of  twenty-one  years 
of  age. 

In  the  spring  of  1770,  he  took  up  his  residence  at  Trevecca, 
the  place  where  the  College  was  located,  and  became  well 
satisfied  with  his  situation  and  the  flattering  prospects  of  the 
College.  He  was  also  much  beloved  and  respected  by  the 
gentlemen  students  and  the  patrons  of  the  College. 

Mr.  Benson  during  tiie  succeeding  winter  vacation  was  ab- 


JOSEPH    BENSON.  YS 

sent  at  Oxford  "keeping  terms,"  and  during  his  absence,  a 
zealous  advocate  of  the  Calvinistic  Creed  visited  the  seat  of 
the  College,  and  propagated  the  seeds  of  dissension  and  disu- 
nion among  the  students,  and  others  connected  with  the  Col- 
lege. It  should  be  known  to  the  reader,  that  at  this  period, 
much  excitement  prevailed  in  England  and  Wales,  in  relation 
to  the  doctrines  of  Calvinism  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  Armin- 
ianisxn  on  the  other.  This  excitement  was  mostly  felt  in  the 
two  Methodistic  bodies,  known  as  the  Whitefieldian,  and  the 
Wesleyan,  and  at  this  particular  period,  was  at  its  height. 
Mr.  Whitefield,  Lady  Huntingdon,  and  others  were  disposed 
to  defend  the  Calvinistic  views  :  while  Mr.  Wesley,  Mr.  Fletch- 
er, and  Mr.  Benson,  arrayed  themselves  on  the  opposite  side 
of  free  grace,  and  God's  impartial  love  to  all  mankind.  It 
was  at  length  determined  by  the  countess,  to  dismiss  all  Ar- 
minians  from  her  College,  whether  teachers  or  students,  and 
consequently  Mr.  Benson  had  to  take  his  leave  after  a  short 
but  useful  term  of  nine  months'  duration,  as  Head  Master.  On 
leaving  the  College,  Lady  Huntingdon  cheerfully  gave  him  a 
testimonial  of  her  high  regard  for  his  character,  as  a  gentle- 
man and  as  a  teacher.  As  before  stated,  Mr.  Fletcher  on 
hearing  the  fact  of  Mr.  Benson's  abrupt  dismissal  on  account 
of  his  religious  views,  immediately  resigned  the  Presidency  of 
the  College. 

We  have  stated  above  that  Mr.  Benson  was  at  Oxford  keep- 
ing terms.  He  had  in  March  1769,  entered  his  name  on  the 
books  of  the  University,  and  from  that  period  he  regularly 
and  systematically  cultivated  every  part  of  a  University  edu- 
cation. After  having  been  at  the  University  two  years,  and 
having  pursued  all  the  branches  pre-requisite  to  ordination  in 
the  Church  of  England,  he  concluded  in  the  fear  of  God  to 
take  upon  himself  holy  orders.  It  was  necessary,  however, 
previously  to  ordination,  that  his  tutor  in  the  University  should 
sign  his  testimonials,  but  on  hearing  that  Mr.  Benson  had  been 


74  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

a  local  preacher  under  Mr.  Wesley,  and  that  he  had  actually 
dared  as  such  to  preach  to  the  poor  colliers  of  Kingswood,  he 
peremptorily,  and  in  the  true  spirit  of  bigotry  refused  to  sign 
such  testimonials,  or  even  to  act  longer  toward  him  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  tutor.  Mr.  Benson  remonstrated  in  the  spirit  of 
kindness  against  such  ill-usage,  and  although  seconded  in  his 
effort  to  obtain  his  testimonials  by  the  principal  of  St.  Edmund's 
Hall,  yet  the  tutor  remained  inflexible  in  his  refusal,  and  Mr. 
Benson  left  Oxford. 

After  leaving  Oxford,  Mr.  Benson  obtained  testimonials 
from  a  respectable  clergj'man  in  Wales,  and  a  large  and  re- 
spectable parish  was  obtained  for  him.  His  testimonials  were 
countersigned  by  the  bishop  of  St.  David's,  but  as  the  parish 
which  had  been  presented  to  him,  was  within  the  diocess  of 
Worcester,  he  applied  to  the  Bishop  of  Worcester  for  ordina- 
tion, but  the  latter  refused  to  ordain  him,  ostensibly  for  the 
reason,  that  he  had  not  received  his  Academical  degree,  but 
truly,  as  it  is  to  be  feared,  for  the  same  reason  that  his  bigoted 
tutor  Avould  not  sign  his  testimonials. 

We  have  before  stated  that  Mr.  Benson  did  not  naturally 
possess  a  capacity  for  extemporizing.  For  this  reason  probably 
he  was  the  more  anxious  to  obtain  orders  in  the  Established 
Church,  as  in  that  case  the  prayers  and  sermons  required  of 
him  would  all  be  written-,  and  extemporizing  be  unnecessary. 
But  the  great  Head  of  the  Church  had  other  fields  of  labor 
for  him  to  occupy,  and  more  extensive  work  for  him  to  do  than 
to  shut  himself  up  in  an  obscure  country  parish  ;  hence,  he 
ever  after  considered  these  obstacles  in  the  Avay  of  procuring 
episcopal  ordination,  as  so  many  providential  hindrances,  clos- 
ing up  what  to  him  then  appeared  to  be  the  path  of  duty, 
but  in  reference  to  which  he  was  afterwards  convinced  was 
a  mistake. 

After  leaving  Oxford,  he  visited  Bristol  and  preached  almost 
every  day,  and  at  the  session  of  the  Methodist  Conference  in 


JOSEPH    BENSON.  75 

August  1771,  he  was  received  on  trial  as  an  itinerant  preach- 
er, and  was  appointed  by  Mr.  Wesley  to  labor  on  the  London 
circuit,  where  he  continued  one  year  with  more  or  less  success. 
At  the  ensuing  Conference,  he  was  received  into  full  connec- 
tion, and  was  appointed  to  Newcastle  circuit.  In  1773  he 
was  appointed  to  Edinburgh  circuit  in  Scotland  ;  and  although 
at  first  he  felt  rather  opposed  to  the  idea  of  going  into  a  strange 
country,  and  among  a  people  so  different  in  their  habits  and 
religious  views  and  practices  from  the  people  of  England,  yet 
he  made  up  his  mind  fully  to  acquiesce  cheerfully  in  the  al- 
lotment of  Providence,  as  indicated  by  the  appointment, 

Mr.  Benson  labored  in  Edinburgh  for  three  years,  and  near 
the  close  of  the  third  year  he  remarks  in  his  diary  :  "  My  heart 
is  so  united  to  this  people,  that  I  find  it  very  hard  to  leave 
this  place.  I  never  was  among  a  more  kind  and  loving  people 
than  those  in  our  Society  at  Edinburgh.  Many  a  happy 
and  edifying  hour,  have  I  spent  among  them.  Many  a  time 
has  my  soul  been  blessed  in  answer  to  their  prayers,  both  in 
public  and  in  private.  May  the  Lord  continue  to  favor  them 
with  his  presence,  and  reward  them  for  all  their  kindness  to 
me."  After  leaving  Edinburgh  he  was  again  appointed  to 
Newcastle  circuit,  where  he  remained  for  two  years  with  great 
honor  to  himself  and  profit  to  the  cause  of  God  in  that  place. 
Li  1778,  Mr.  Benson  was  stationed  in  Manchester,  and  while 
laboring  in  this  place  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Thompson,  a  pious  and  intelligent  lady,  who  resided  in  Leeds. 
In  company  with  Mrs.  Benson  he  immediately  returned  to 
his  circuit,  and  proved  himself  to  be  no  less  arduous  and  en- 
gaged after,  than  before  his  marriage. 

At  the  Conference  of  1780,  Mr.  Benson  was  appointed  to 
the  Leeds  circuit,  Avhich  at  this  period  was  large  and  exten- 
sive. During  the  period  of  his  ministry  in  other  places  he 
had  in  a  great  measure  overcome  his  want  of  capacity  for  ex- 
temporizing ;  he  had  in  fact  become  not  only  a  forcible  but 


'16  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

an  eloquent  extemporaneous  speaker.  This  combined  with 
his  zeal  and  literary  acquirements  rendered  his  labors  accept- 
able wherever  he  was  stationed,  and  being  attended  with  the 
divine  blessing  were  not  only  acceptable,  but  highly  useful. 
After  spending  two  years  in  Leeds  he  was  appointed  to  Brad- 
ford circuit,  and  in  1784,  was  stationed  in  the  Sheffield  cir- 
cuit, where  during  his  pastoral  labors  among  them,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Society  increased  three  hundred  and  fifty  in  num- 
ber. From  Sheffield  he  removed  to  Hull,  where  he  spent  one 
year,  and  from  thence  he  was  stationed  in  Birmingham.  It 
was  during  his  residence  in  this  city  that  the  venerable  and 
apostolic  John  Wesley  departed  this  life.  The  intelligence 
of  his  death,  which  he  obtained  on  the  day  following  his  de- 
cease (March  2d,  1791),  greatly  afiected  Mr.  Benson.  On  the 
13th  of  March  he  delivered  a  discourse  on  the  occasion,  his 
text  being  2  Kings  ii.  12,  "  My  father  I  my  father  I  the  chariot 
of  Israel,  and  the  horsemen  thereof  I"  Many  hundreds  came 
to  hear  the  sermon  who  could  not  gain  admission  to  the  chap- 
el. The  discourse  being  lengthy  he  did  not  finish  it  at  that 
time,  but  deferred  the  remainder  until  the  15th,  when  the 
chapel  was  again  crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity. 

Birmingham  was  the  scene  of  many  disgraceful  riots  of  a 
political  character  during  Mr.  Benson's  residence  in  that  place. 
Referring  to  the  same,  h-e  says  in  his  journal  under  date  of 
July  15th,  1791  :  "  Yesterday,  according  to  appointment,  sev- 
eral gentlemen  met  at  the  hotel  in  this  town  v/ith  a  view  to 
commemorate  the  French  revolution.  The  mob  collected  and 
hissed  them  as  they  went  in  ;  and  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening 
gathering  in  greater  numbers  they  broke  all  the  windows  of 
the  hotel.  Then  hastening  to  Dr.  Priestley's  meeting-house, 
in  a  little  time  they  burned  it  to  the  ground.  They  then 
proceeded  to  what  is  called  the  Old  Meeting  House,  and  burn- 
ed it  likewise.  This  morning  they  set  fire  to  Dr.  Priestley's 
dwelling-house,  which   is   about  two  miles  from   town,  and 


JOSEPH    BENSON.  77 

burned  it  also  with  all  its  furniture.  The  same  destructive 
work  Ihey  Lave  pursued  all  day." 

Under  date  of  July  16lh,  Mr.  Benson  continues  :  "This  day 
we  have  been  in  continual  alarm.  The  mob  reigns  without 
control.  The  attack  made  upon  them  by  the  constables  yes- 
terday only  inflamed  them  the  more  ;  and  to-day,  they  are 
continuing  their  depredations.  Hundreds  of  families  are  re- 
moving their  property,  and  the  whole  town  is  in  utter  con- 
sternation. May  the  Lord  be  our  defence  and  habitation.  On, 
the  succeeding  day — Sunday — a  body  of  light-horse  arrived 
in  town,  which  efiectually  put  a  stop  to  further  rioting." 

Shortly  after  this,  Mr.  Benson  was  in  imminent  danger  of 
losing  his  life  by  being  thrown  from  his  horse,  which  had  taken 
fright  and  become  unmanageable.  He  was  trodden  under  the 
horse's  feet,  and  by  some  means  was  dragged  a  considerable 
distance  before  he  became  disengaged  from  the  animal.  His 
under,  and  over-coats  were  torn  to  pieces,  but  excepting  a  few 
slight  bruises,  himself  escaped  without  further  injury.  "  Sure- 
ly," said  Mr.  Benson,  "  1  am  laid  under  fresh  obligations  to 
live  to  the  glory  of  my  great  deliverer !" 

In  May,  Mr.  Benson  removed  to  Manchester,  and  while  there 
he  volunteered  his  services  in  connection  with  other  ministe- 
rial brethren  to  proceed  to-  Liverpool,  for  the  purpose  of  heal- 
ing certain  dissensions  which  had  arisen  in  the  Methodist  So- 
ciety in  that  place,  growing  out  of  holding  service  in  Church 
hours,  and  of  the  administration  of  the  Lord's  Supper  in  the 
Chapel  of  that  place.  To  understand  the  cause  of  division  it 
may  be  necessary  to  state,  that  previous  to  this  time,  the 
Methodists  in  England,  were  considered  as  an  integral  portion 
of  the  Church  of  England,  and  were  required  by  the  rules  of 
the  Society,  to  attend  the  services  of  the  Established  Church, 
as  also,  to  receive  the  Lord's  Supper  there,  if  permitted  by  the 
officiating  clergyman,  to  do  so.  The  Methodist  services  were 
held  at  such  hours  as  did  not  interfere  with  the  services  of  tht- 


^8  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

Church.  About  this  time,  however,  it  was  thought  proper 
by  the  Conference  to  allow  in  cities,  and  large  towns,  the 
holding  of  Methodist  services  in  church  hours,  and  if  the 
preacher  stationed  among  the  people  in  those  places  was  or- 
dained, they  were  permitted  to  receive  the  sacrament  in  their 
own  house  of  worship.  This  practice  at  first  was  considered 
by  many  of  the  Methodists,  as  a  bold  and  dangerous  innova- 
tion. And  as  the  Society  in  Liverpool  had  just  had  the  inno- 
vation introduced  among  them,  an  unhappy  division  arose 
among  the  members  in  relation  thereto.  Mr.  Benson  and  his 
brethren,  however,  were  by  the  divine  blessing,  rendered  in- 
strumental in  healing  the  dissensions,  and  restoring  peace  be- 
tween the  parties. 

In  1794,  by  the  earnest  request  of  the  trustees  of  the  chap- 
els in  Bristol,  Mr.  Benson  was  stationed  in  that  city.  In  this 
place  also,  divisions  and  distractions  had  existed  for  several 
months,  which  induced  Mr.  Benson  to  doubt  the  propriety  of 
his  being  stationed  there,  and  which  rendered  his  situation 
for  a  portion  of  the  time  he  there  remained,  unpleasant  in  the 
extreme.  But  he  went  to  his  appointment  in  the  name  of  the 
Prince  of  Peace,  and  was  instrumental  in  adopting  measures 
which  secured  not  only  a  lasting  peace  to  the  Societies  in  Bris- 
tol, but  by  his  "plan  of  pacification,"  laid  the  foundation  of 
that  general  union,  which  has  since  continued  with  scarcely 
any  abatement  throughout  the  connection. 

While  in  Bristol,  he  made  a  tour  of  several  weeks'  con- 
tinuance to  the  west  of  England.  It  was  not,  however,  a 
tour  of  leisure  to  him,  as  his  journal  abundantly  proves.  Day 
after  day,  and  week  after  week,  he  preached  to  large  congre- 
gations wherever  he  went,  and  such  was  the  power  of  the 
w^ord  of  God,  as  administered  by  him,  that  hundreds  trem- 
bled, and  scores  were  brought  to  the  "  knowledge  of  the 
truth."  After  his  return  to  Bristol,  he  spent  the  remainder 
0^  the  conference  year  in  strengthening  and  confirming  the 


JOSEPH    BENSON.  t9 

hearts  of  the  people  of  his  important  charge,  with  the  assur- 
ance that  his  labors  among  them  had  not  been  "  in  vain  in 
the  Lord." 

In  1795,  Mr.  Benson  was  again  appointed  to  Leeds,  where 
he  remained  for  two  years,  and  during  this  period  he  labored 
with  his  usual  diligence  to  secure  the  salvation  of  souls.  His 
talents  and  zeal  were  in  some  measure  appreciated  by  the 
vast  crowds  of  people  that  from  time  to  time  went  to  hear 
him,  and  his  labors  were  attended  with  great  success,  as  God 
gave  him  in  this  place,  many  seals  to  his  ministry.  After 
leavino-  Leeds,  he  went  to  Hull.  At  the  latter  place  he  again 
narrowly  escaped  death  by  a  fall  from  his  horse,  which  hav- 
ing fell  down  upon  his  knees  and  face,  suddenly  pitched  Mr. 
Benson  over  his  head.  Mr.  Benson,  however,  escaped  with 
very  little  injury. 

In  1798,  by  the  partiality  of  his  brethren,  Mr.  Benson  was 
elected  to  the  responsible  station  of  President  of  the  Confer- 
ence. This  station  he  filled  Avith  acceptability  to  the  Confer- 
ence, with  honor  to  himself,  and  with  profit  to  the  connection. 

In  1800,  Mr.  Benson  was  appointed  Superintendent  of  the 
London  circuit,  which  was  a  great  and  important  charge. 
During-  his  stay  here,  he  records  one  or  two  instances  of  sud- 
den death,  the  recital  of  which  may  be  interesting  to  the 
reader.  On  the  12th  of  April,  while  Mr.  Benson  was  pray- 
ing before  sermon  in  the  Q,ueen-street  Chapel,  a  Mr.  Falzhara 
was  taken  suddenly  ill,  and  after  groaning  for  a  few  moments, 
expired  on  the  spot.  "  Some  of  the  friends,"  says  Mr.  Ben- 
son, "bore  him  down  into  the  vestry,  where  I  found  him  on 
the  table,  on  his  back,  much  altered,  when  the  service  was 
over.  It  was  an  awful  and  affecting  scene  to  those  who 
were  present."  Another  instance  which  greatly  affected  Mr. 
Benson,  was  the  sudden  death  of  Mr.  Pine  of  Bristol.  He 
was  attending  a  prayer-meeting.  After  two  or  three  had 
prayed,  Mr.  Pine  observed  that  they  would  no  longer  meet 


80  LIVES    OF    EillNEXT    MINISTERS. 

together  as  they  had  done ;  and  the  very  next  mornmg  he 
died  in  his  hed,  with  scarcely  a  moment's  warning. 

After  having  spent  three  very  pleasant  and  profitable 
years  as  Superintendent  of  London  circuit,  Mr.  Benson  was 
elected  sole  editor  of  the  Methodist  Magazhie,  a  periodical 
which  had  been  commenced  by  Mr.  Wesley,  and  which  had 
been  continued  since  his  death  with  great  and  increasing 
patronage.  Mr.  Benson  was  elected  to  this  office  by  the 
unanimous  vote  of  the  Conference,  which  at  once  shows  the 
confidence  which  that  body  placed  in  his  talents  and  piety. 
The  office  to  which  he  was  thus  elected,  he  continued  to  fill 
with  great  acceptability,  until  the  time  of  his  death  ;  his  resi- 
dence, as  a  matter  of  course,  being  thenceforward  fixed  in 
London.  But  although  called  to  labor  in  another  sphere,  he 
continued  to  exert  himself  as  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  by 
preaching  frequently  as  occasion  might  require,  or  doors  of 
usefulness  open.  On  one  of  these  occasions,  while  preaching 
at  Lambeth,  he  gave  an  account  of  the  conversion  and  happy 
death  of  a  once  noted  actress  of  great  popularity,  by  the 
name  of  Mrs.  Boothe.  "  After  returning  home  from  the 
theatre  on  a  certain  evening,  the  house  in  which  she  lodged 
was  so  suddenly  consumed  by  fire,  that  it  was  with  much 
difficulty  she  made  her  escape  from  the  flames.  Her  exer- 
tions on  the  occasion,  together  with  her  mental  agitation, 
brought  on  a  fever,  during  the  continuance  of  which,  she 
was  convinced  that  her  mode  of  life  was  opposed  to  the  spirit 
and  practice  of  religion.  She  left  the  stage,  and  sought  for 
rest  and  peace  ;  but  in  vain  at  first.  She  felt  an  aching 
void  ;  and  nothing  she  could  do,  or  enjoy,  aflbrded  her  the 
least  degree  of  happiness. 

"  She  retired  to  reside  in  a  village  in  which  a  Sunday- 
school  was  established,  and  occasionally  heard  an  exhortation 
from  some  of  the  teachers  employed  in  it.  By  means  of  these 
pious  men,  she  soon  learned  that  what  she  needed  in  order  to 


I 


JOSEPH    BENSON.  81 

her  happiness,  was  a  living  faith  in  the  Lord  Josus  Christ, 
together  with  its  concomitants — pardon,  peace,  and  joy.  She 
became  a  teacher  in  the  school  just  noticed,  and  was  grateful 
to  God  for  so  far  subduing  her  proud  heart,  as  to  make  her 
willing  in  a  sphere  so  humble,  to  make  some  good  use  of  the 
talents  which  she  had  so  much  abused. 

"  After  changing  her  residence  to  Lambeth,  she  frequently 
heard  preaching  at  the  Methodist  chapel.  She  soon  was  en- 
abled to  exercise  faith  in  Christ  as  her  Redeemer,  and  wag 
filled  Avith  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  She  joined  the 
Methodist  Society,  of  which  she  continued  a  worthy  and  ex- 
emplary member  until  her  decease.  For  some  days  before 
er  death,  it  was  evident  to  herself  that  her  race  was  nearly 
run.  She  spoke  frequently,  and  with  great  animation,  of 
\ heaven  and  its  glories.  Her  death,  although  sudden,  was  not 
so  much  unexpected  as  to  induce  alarm.  Though  she  was 
rather  unwell,  she  attended  preaching  as  usual,  on  Thursday 
evening.  On  the  night  of  the  following  Sabbath,  she  entered 
the  eternal  world.  Was  not  this  a  brand  plucked  from  the 
fire  ?" 

In  1808,  the  Conference,  by  vote,  requested  Mr.  Benson  to 
write  a  commentary  on  the  Bible,  and  in  compliance  with 
such  request,  he  in  the  following  year  began  the  onerous 
task — a  task  for  which  he  was  well  qualified,  and  in  the  ac- 
complishment of  which  he  at  length  succeeded,  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  Church.  His  "  Commentary  on  the  Old  and 
New  Testament,"  is  an  enduring  monument  of  his  piety,  and 
extensive  biblical  knowledge,  as  well  as  of  his  general  eru- 
dition. 

In  the  year  1810,  Mr.  Benson  had  the  misfortune  to  lose 
his  beloved  wife  with  whom  he  had  lived  and  travelled  for 
thirty  years.  This  affliction  bore  heavily  on  his  stricken  mind, 
but  although  "cast  down"  by  the  dispensation  of  divine  Prov- 
idence, he  was  "  not  destroyed."     Yet  it  was  only  by  looking 

6 


82  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

to  the  Lord,  that  he  obtained  support  and  consolation.  During 
the  same  year  in  which  his  wife  died,  he  was  the  second  time 
elected  President  of  the  Conference,  an  evidence  that  his  breth- 
ren appreciated  his  services  in  that  capacity  during  his  former 
term  of  office.  The  duties  of  this  office,  together  with  those 
of  editor  of  the  Magazine,  and  the  task  of  writing  his  com- 
mentary, were  duties  sufficiently  oppressive  to  break  down  the 
constitution  of  a  more  healthy  man  than  Mr.  Benson.  One 
evening  as  he  kneeled  down  to  offer  family  prayers,  he  fell  on 
his  face  like  one  dead.  His  daughters  lifted  him  up,  when  he 
gradually  recovered  his  strength  and  consciousness.  Thus  did 
this  good  man  spend  his  strength,  for  the  good  of  the  Church 
and  the  world. 

While  Mr.  Benson  was  thus  laboring  for  the  good  of  man- 
kind, he  was  frequently  made  the  distributer  of  the  alms  of 
the  benevolent.  In  1812,  an  unknown  friend  sent  twenty 
pounds  ($90)  to  be  distributed  among  the  poor,  by  Mr.  Ben- 
son. One  year  after,  the  same  friend  gave  him  forty-five 
pounds  for  a  similar  purpose,  and  in  another  year  he  called 
on  Mr.  Benson,  and  left  with  him  seventy  pounds  (over  $300) 
for  the  same  object,  adding  as  he  gave  it,  "  The  more  I  give 
the  Lord,  he  blesses  me  the  more."  Mr.  Benson  desired  to 
have  his  name,  but  he  declined  making  it  known,  thus  prac- 
tically carrying  out  the  precept  of  Christ,  "  When  thou  doest 
alms,  let  not  thy  left  hand  know  what  thy  right  hand  doeth." 

Another  instance  of  benevolence  is  recorded  by  Mr.  Benson. 
In  1816  he  preached  in  a  neat  Methodist  chapel  which  had 
been  lately  erected  in  Cambridge,  through  the  exertions  of  a 
Mr.  Babcock.  This  person  was  a  plasterer  by  trade,  and  on 
going  to  Cambridge  to  work  at  his  trade,  he  found  a  small 
Methodist  Society,  having  no  place  of  worship.  Resolving  if 
possible  to  build  one,  he  mentioned  the  subject  to  several  pious 
friends,  some  of  whom  could  not  encourage  the  undertaking, 
and  others  who  were  willing  to  encourage  and  aid  to  a  limit- 


JOSEPH    BENSON.  83 

ed  extent.  Mr.  Babcock  however  purchased  a  lot  of  ground, 
procured  the  materials,  and  proceeded  with  his  own  hands 
— frequently  without  the  help  of  any  other  laborer — to  lay  the 
brick,  plaster  the  inside,  and  slate  the  roof  His  labor  was 
given  gratuitously,  besides  a  handsome  donation  towards  de- 
fraying the  expenses  of  materials,  &c.  Such  an  instance  of 
liberality  on  the  part  of  a  comparatively  poor  man,  deserves 
to  be  recorded  to  his  honor. 

Tn  1818,  Mr.  Benson  completed  his  Commentary  on  the 
Bible,  which  he  had  commenced  eight  years  previously,  and 
to  finish  which,  and  attend  to  his  editorial,  and  other  duties 
made  it  necessary  for  him  to  write  day  after  day,  from  five 
o'clock  in  the  morning  until  eleven  at  night,  and  this  too,  at 
the  age  of  more  than  seventy  years.  Besides  which,  he  gen- 
erally preached  twice  or  thrice  on  the  Sabbath,  and  walked 
from  eight  to  twelve  miles  with  a  body  somewhat  enfeebled 
by  disease. 

On  the  2Gth  day  of  November,  1820,  Mr.  Benson  preached 
his  last  sermon.  He  had  been  growing  more  and  more  infirm 
for  some  time,  although  able  to  attend  to  his  editorial  duties. 
But  his  work  Avas  now  nearly  done,  and  the  father  in  Israel 
was  about  to  take  his  departure  to  the  land  of  spirits.  During 
his  last  sickness  of  ten  weeks,  he  preserved  the  utmost  com- 
posure of  mind  and  conversed  frequently  and  freely  on  the 
subject  of  death,  asserting  the  utmost  confidence  in  Christ,  as 
an  all-sufficient  Saviour.  A  day  or  two  before  he  died,  he  was 
visited  by  Dr.  Clarke,  and  Rev.  Jabez  Bunting.  The  Doctor 
"was  very  much  affected  at  seeing  him  so  much  reduced,  and 
said,  "You  know  me,  sir?"  "0  yes;  it  is  Dr.  Clarke." 
"  "Well,  sir,  you  are  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God."  "I  am 
not  only  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God,  but  I  am  sure  of 
finding  God  in  that  kingdom,"  was  the  reply.  He  afterwards 
said  to  the  Doctor,  ■'  I  have  no  hope  of  being  saved  but  by 
grace  through   faith"  and  to  Mr.  Bunting  he  remarked,  "I 


84  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

have  no  sufRciency  for  anything  good  in  myself,"  and  on  being 
asked  if  he  now  realized  those  truths  he  preached  so  often  to 
others,  he  answered,  "  Yes  I  0  yes  I" 

On  the  16th  of  February,  1821,  Mr.  Benson  bade  farewell 
to  earth.  He  died  without  a  struggle,  or  a  groan,  in  the  sev- 
enty-fourth year  of  his  age,  and  the  fiftieth  of  his  ministry  in 
the  Methodist  connection. 

His  remains  were  deposited  in  the  burying-ground  of  City 
Road  Chapel,  London,  on  the  22d  day  of  February,  there  to 
remain  until  the  resurrection  of  the  just.  The  corpse  was 
preceded  by  four  of  the  senior  members  of  the  Conference, 
and  was  followed  by  the  relations,  and  by  twenty-four  travel- 
ling preachers,  twenty  lay  gentlemen — personal  friends  of  the 
deceased — thirty  local  preachers,  twenty  stewards,  and  forty 
other  members  of  the  Society,  all  of  whom  appeared  in  mourn- 
ing cloaks,  as  the  representatives  of  the  bodies  to  which  they 
respectively  belonged,  and  who  were  deputed  to  honor  the  re- 
mains of  the  faithful  but  departed  Benson.  Mr.  Bunting,  as 
President  of  the  Conference,  conducted  the  funeral  services, 
while  Dr.  Clarke  delivered  a  funeral  discourse  to  the  thousands 
who  were  assembled  too;ether  on  the  solemn  occasion. 

Thus  died,  and  thus  was  buried,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Benson ; 
a  man  who,  although  inferior  to  a  few  more  talented  minis- 
ters, was  superior  to  many,  yea,  to  the  great  mass  of  ministers, 
in  point  of  talent,  education,  piety,  usefulness,  and  diligence. 
His  works  still  praise  him.  Not  only  was  he  the  author  of 
the  Commentary  on  the  Bible,  but  he  wrote  various  works 
of  other  kinds,  and  among  these,  his  excellent  life  of  Mr. 
Fletcher  will  not  only  often  be  read,  but  be  greatly  admired, 
while  his  Commentary,  as  before  stated,  will  be  a  lasting, 
living,  speaking  monument  of  his  piety  and  erudition.     "  He 

RESTS  FROM  HIS  LABORS,  AND  HIS  WORKS  DO  FOLLOW  HIM." 


CHAPTER  V. 

REV.   THOMAS   COKE,   LL.D. 

Thomas  Coke  was  born  at  Brecon,  in  Wales,  on  the  9th  of 
September,  1747.  His  father  was  an  eminent  surgeon,  and 
magistrate  in  Brecon,  and  gave  his  only  child,  Thomas,  such 
an  education  as  would  qualify  him  for  usefulness  in  after  life. 
His  mother  was  a  Methodist,  and  died  a  member  of  the  Wes- 
leyan  Society  in  Bristol.  At  a  proper  age,  Thomas  was 
placed  imder  the  charge  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  GrifRths,  master  of 
the  college  school  in  Brecon,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  was 
entered  at  the  University  of  Oxford  as  a  gentleman  commoner 
of  Jesus  College. 

While  at  the  University,  his  mind  was  poisoned  with  the 
principles  of  infidelity.  These  principles  were  easily  instilled 
into  his  youthful  mind  by  the  artifice  and  sophistry  of  his  fel- 
low-students, many  of  whom  were  openly  avowed  infidels. 
The  religious  principles  of  Thomas,  being  thus  tainted,  very 
soon  produced  a  pernicious  influence  upon  his  dally  practice. 
The  company  into  which  he  was  thrown,  led  him  into  scenes 
of  dissipation  and  vice,  at  which  his  yet  moral  feelings  often 
revolted,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  loud  upbraidings  of  his 
conscience,  he  would  have  fallen  an  easy  prey  to  the  natural 
passiofis  of  a  depraved  heart.  But  although  by  the  influence 
of  an  enlightened  mind,  he  was  kept  from  the  commission  of 
the  grosser  crimes  in  which  his  associates  greedily  indulged, 
he  yielded  himself  at  once  to  the  fashionable  vices  and  follies 


86  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

which  even  the  reputed  virtue  of  the  age  did  not  hesitate  to 
allow. 

Young  Coke,  however,  was  far  from  being  happy.  Having 
sacrificed  his  religious  principles  upon  the  altar  of  infidelity, 
and  having  found  the  follies  and  sins  of  fashionable  life  insuf- 
ficient to  satisfy  the  longing  desires  of  an  immortal  mind,  he 
was  illy  at  ease,  and  sighed  in  solitude  for  that  peace  of 
mind,  which  he  had  in  some  measure  frequently  enjoyed,  but 
to  which  he  was  now  an  entire  stranger.  In  this  sorrowful 
state  of  mind,  he  paid  a  visit  to  a  popular  clergyman  of  the 
establishment  in  Wales.  On  Sunday  the  minister  preached 
an  able  sermon  on  the  more  important  doctrines  of  the  Gospel, 
which  served  to  convince  his  guest  of  the  falsify  of  his  skepti- 
cal principles,  and  the  truthfulness  of  that  system  of  faith 
which  he  had  discarded.  He  began  toward  the  close  of  the 
sermon,  to  resolve  on  an  abandonment  of  his  infidel  senti- 
ments, and  on  a  return  to  the  path  of  truth  and  virtue.  On 
returning  from  church,  while  the  heart  of  young  Coke  glowed 
with  gratitude  to  the  clergyman  for  his  able  defence  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  while  he  was  proceeding  to  state  the  exercises  of 
his  own  mind,  and  his  desire  to  return  to  the  path  of  duty, 
what  was  his  astonishment  when  his  reverend  friend  darkly 
smiled  at  his  simplicity,  and  bluntly  and  frankly  informed 
him  that  he  himself  was  not  a  believer  in  Christianity,  and 
that  he  did  not  believe  a  word  of  what  he  had  been  preach- 
ing! 

As  might  have  been  expected,  young  Coke  was  exceeding- 
ly disgusted  at  such  perfidy  of  conduct  on  the  part  of  a  pro- 
fessed minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  yet,  who  was  a  frankly 
avowed  infidel.  Thomas,  however,  at  this  early  age,  was 
too  much  of  a  logician  to  lay  the  blame  of  his  miscondiKit  at 
the  door  of  Christianity,  He  saw  at  once,  that  it  was  infi- 
delity in  disguise — a  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing — Satan  clothed 
in  garments  of  light.     He  returned  to  Oxford  with  the  fixed 


THOMAS    COKE.  87 

determination  of  either  openly  avowing  the  principles  of  infi- 
delity, or  taking  such  steps  as  should  convince  him  of  the 
truth  of  Christianity.  To  live  "halting  between  two  opin- 
ions," was  to  him,  as  it  is  to  all  others  who  attempt  it,  a  life 
of  misery.  Providentially  falling  in  with  Bishop  Sherlock's 
discourses  and  dissertations  in  favor  of  the  Christian  religion, 
he  read  them  carefully,  and  meditated  upon  them  prayerfully, 
and  by  the  blessing  of  God  was  again  coafirmed  in  the  truths 
of  Christianity.  Again  was  Coke  a  Christian  in  theory,  and 
his  conversion  thus  far,  resulted  in  his  total  abandonment  of 
his  infidel  associates,  and  of  their  wicked  practices. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  Mr.  Coke  was  chosen  common, 
councilman  of  the  borough  of  Brecon,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-five,  was  elected  chief  magistrate  or  mayor  of  the  cor- 
poration, which  important  office  he  filled  with  great  accepta- 
bility. The  important  station  thus  filled  by  him,  brought 
him  in  contact  with  those  who  were  possessed  of  much  au- 
thority, both  in  civil  and  ecclesiastical  affairs,  and  as  Mr. 
Coke  had  now  fully  made  up  his  mind  to  enter  into  orders,  he 
was  flattered  by  his  influential  friends  to  expect  preferment 
in  the  Church.  A  prebend  in  the  Cathedral  of  Worcester 
was  held  out  to  him,  and  other  promises  given  of  an  exalted 
station  in  the  Church,  when  he  should  enter  into  orders. 

In  June,  1775,  he  took  his  degree  of  Doctor  of  Civil  Laws 
at  the  University,  and  having  received  ordination,  he  obtained 
a  curacy  in  South  Petherton,  in  Somersetshire.  Although 
still  a  stranger  to  vital  godliness,  he  entered  on  his  new  field 
of  labor  with  an  intense  desire  to  be  useful  to  his  parishion- 
ers. This  desire  manifested  itself  in  his  animated  manner, 
his  burning  zeal,  and  tender  expostulations  which  were  con- 
nected with  all  his  pulpit  performances.  The  result  of  such 
a  kind  of  preaching,  as  they  had  before  been  unaccustomed 
to,  served  soon  to  enlarge  his  congregation  to  such  an  extent, 
that  the  church  became  too  small  for  their  accommodation. 


88  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

He  therefore  applied  to  the  parish  vestry  to  have  a  gallery 
built  at  the  expense  of  the  parish.  His  application,  how- 
ever, was  unsuccessful,  and  he  accordingly  employed  work- 
men, and  built  a  large  and  handsome  gallery  at  his  own. 
expense.  This  liberality  on  his  part,  was  a  matter  of  sur- 
prise to  the  honest  farmers  of  his  parish,  who  had  never  before 
seen  things  done  in  "  that  fashion,"  while  a  few  of  the  more 
knowing  ones,  suspected  him  to  be  tainted  with  Methodism. 

Up  to  this  time,  however,  he  had  had  no  intercourse  what- 
ever with  the  Methodists  either  as  individuals  or  as  a  society, 
but  shortly  after  this,  Dr.  Coke  was  visited  by  Mr.  Maxfield, 
one  of  Mr.  Wesley's  preachers.  The  subject  of  their  conver- 
sation during  this  first  interview  was  the  nature  and  necessity 
of  the  New  Birth,  the  Witness  of  the  Spirit,  &c.,  which  doc- 
trines, although  somewhat  novel  to  Dr.  Coke,  commended 
themselves  to  his  attention  and  candid  inquiry.  By  subsequent 
interviews  his  mind  became  more  and  more  enlightened,  his 
doubts  began  to  leave  him,  and  in  due  season  he  became  a 
sincere  seeker  of  personal  salvation.  He  accordingly  availed 
himself  of  the  knowledge  to  be  derived  from  reading  books 
which  treated  on  the  subjects  of  his  inquiry.  Among  other 
works  which  fell  into  his  hands,  were  "  Fletcher's  Appeal" 
and  his  "  Checks  to  Antinomianism,"  and  were  the  means  of 
bringing  him  among  the  despised  people  called  Methodists. 

An  incident  is  related  as  taking  place  about  this  time  which 
is  worthy  of  being  noticed.  A  certain  Mr.  Hull,  a  pious  Calvin- 
istic  dissenting  minister,  hearing  something  of  Dr.  Coke's  state 
of  mind  and  wishing  to  assist  him  in  his  inquiries  after  truth, 
proposed  having  an  interview  with  the  Doctor  ;  but  such  were 
the  prejudices  of  the  latter  in  reference  to  all  who  dissented 
from  the  Established  Church,  that  he  declined  receiving  a 
visit  from  Mr.  Hull,  neither  would  he  go  and  visit  the  latter. 
A  meeting,  however,  subsequently  took  place  on  neutral  ground, 
when  the  doctor  became  convinced  that  piety  and  intelligence 


THOMAS    COKE.  89 

could  exist  out  of  the  establishment.  Mr.  Hull  appears  to  have 
been  as  sincerely  desirous  of  knowing  the  truth,  as  was  the 
Doctor  himself.  On  one  occasion  while  preaching  to  his  con- 
gregation from  the  text,  "  Of  a  truth,  I  perceive  God  is  no 
respecter  of  persons,"  &c.,  he  pledged  himself  to  show  the  har- 
mony existing  between  the  Scriptures  and  the  system  of  doc- 
trine called  Calvinism.  But  before  he  had  advanced  far  in 
his  discourse,  he  perceived  that  instead  of  there  being  a  har- 
mony existing  between  the  two,  there  Avas  in  fact  a  perfect 
discordancy.  He  became  embarrassed  and  bewildered,  and 
was  at  length  obliged  to  dismiss  his  congregation  without 
having  fulfilled  his  pledge.  After  due  reflection  and  prayer 
he  saw  his  error,  and  on  the  following  Sabbath  renounced  his 
Calvinism,  and  preached  the  doctrine  of  God's  impartial  love 
to  all  mankind ;  and  God  set  his  seal  to  his  ministry,  by  giv- 
ing him  great  success  among  the  people. 

While  on  a  visit  to  a  family  in  Devonshire,  the  Doctor 
learned  that  there  was  a  poor  laborer  employed  by  the  family 
who  was  a  Methodist,  and  the  leader  of  a  small  class.  Soon 
the  Doctor  found  him  out,  and  after  conversing  freely  on  the 
subject  of  experimental  religion,  they  had  a  season  of  prayer 
together.  There  was  such  a  union  of  feeling  between  the 
learned  Doctor  of  Laws  and  the  poor  laboring  peasant,  that 
the  former  ever  after  wanted  to  know  more  of  the  Methodists. 
Soon  after  his  return  to  his  parish,  while  preaching  on  the 
greatness  of  redeeming  love,  it  pleased  the  God  of  grace  to 
speak  unutterable  peace  to  his  soul,  so  that  his  heart  was 
"full  of  glory  and  of  God." 

He  soon  announced  the  fact  of  his  conversion  from  the  pul- 
pit, and  laying  aside  his  carefully  prepared  manuscripts,  he 
began  to  preach  extemiwre.  His  exhortations  were  powerful ; 
his  reproofs  were  cutting  to  the  conscience  of  the  sinner  ;  and 
his  general  earnestness  of  manner  began  to  give  great  ofience, 
EC  much  so  indeed,  that  the  parish  was  in  a  complete  uproar — 


90  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

an  uproar  as  great  as  if  their  minister  had  committed  the 
crime  of  murder,  and  much  more  so  than  if  he  had  been  found 
overtaken  iu  drunkenness,  or  had  committed  some  other  ve- 
nial crime.  Not  only  did  the  people  of  his  own  parish  con- 
spire against  him,  but  the  neighboring  clergy  who  were  rebuked 
by  his  zeal  and  labors,  joined  with  his  parishioners  in  raising 
the  storm  of  opposition.  At  length,  charges  of  irregularity, 
&c.,  were  formally  preferred  against  him  to  his  bishop,  but 
the  bishop  took  no  notice  of  the  affair.  Another  application 
was  made  to  the  Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  with  no  better 
success.  His  enemies  at  length  applied  to  the  rector  to  remove 
him  from  the  parish  ;  and  on  a  certain  Sabbath,  without  hav- 
ing given  the  Doctor  any  previous  notice  whatever  of  the  in- 
tended dismissal,  he  was  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  his  ene- 
mies, publicly  discharged  from  the  office  of  curate  ;  and  to 
add  to  his  disgrace  if  possible,  his  foes  caused  the  parish-bells 
to  chime  him  out  of  doors. 

T^hefact  of  his  dismissal  gave  the  Doctor  very  little  uneasi- 
ness, but  the  manner  of  the  same  caused  him  some  sorrow, 
especially  as  the  precipitancy  of  the  measure  prevented  his 
preaching  a  farewell  discourse  to  the  people.  His  friends  ad- 
vised him  on  the  two  following  Sabbaths,  to  place  himself  at 
the  church  doors  as  the  congregation  was  coming  out,  and 
preach  to  those  who  were  willing  to  hear  him.  He  did  so, 
and  was  permitted  to  preach  without  molestation  to  both 
friends  and  foes.  On  giving  out  an  appointment  for  the  next 
Sabbath  at  the  same  place,  his  enemies  became  perfectly  ex- 
asperated, and  threatened  to  stone  him  if  he  made  the  attempt. 
The  attempt,  however,  was  made  with  full  success,  notwith- 
standing the  precaution  of  his  enemies  in  having  collected  to- 
gether a  large  pile  of  stones  to  throAV  at  the  Doctor.  Among 
his  friends  present  were  a  young  gentleman  and  his  sister, 
who,  when  the  Doctor  began  to  preach,  placed  themselves  on 
either  side  of  him,  while  others  of  his  friends  and  the  lovers 


THOMAS    COKE.  91 

of  religious  liberty  rallied  round  him  so  closely,  that  it  became 
a  matter  of  prudent  calculation  among  his  foes,  who  should 
"  cast  the  first  stone."  The  result  was,  that  he  finished  his 
discourse  without  any  interruption  whatever. 

As  Dr.  Coke  was  now  released  from  his  parish  on  account 
of  his  Methodism,  he  was  at  liberty  to  form  a  connection  with 
Mr.  Wesley,  which  he  did  in  1776.  At  the  Conference  of 
1778,  he  was  stationed  in  London,  where  his  popularity  was 
very  great,  and  his  congregation  was  exceedingly  large.  In 
1780,  the  Doctor  received  no  particular  circuit,  but  travelled 
from  this  time  forward  while  in  England  all  over  the  connec- 
tion according  to  the  directions  of  Mr.  Wesley.  In  the  course 
of  his  travels  he  visited  his  former  parish,  but  such  in  the 
meantime  had  been  the  change  of  public  sentiment  in  relation 
to  him,  that  those  who  a  few  years  before  had  chimed  him 
out  of  his  church,  now  rung  him  in,  and  thus  in  part  atoned 
for  their  former  error  and  prejudice. 

Mr.  Wesley's  celebrated  deed  of  Declaration  was  mostly 
dravTi  up  by  Dr.  Coke,  in  1783,  and  during  the  previous  year 
the  Doctor  had  been  commissioned  by  Mr.  Wesley  to  hold  tlie 
first  Irish  Conference,  which  he  did  greatly  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  preachers  over  whom  he  presided.  This  post  of  honor, 
he  also  filled  for  nearly  thirty  years,  an  evidence  of  the  high 
estimation  in  which  he  was  held  by  Mr.  Wesley,  the  English 
Conference,  and  the  Irish  brethren. 

In  the  year  178-1-,  Mr.  Wesley  with  the  most  parental  re- 
gard for  his  Societies  in  America,  saw  fit  to  empower  Dr. 
Coke  to  proceed  to  that  distant  field  of  labor,  and  organize 
such  Societies  into  an  independent  Methodist  Church.  Meth- 
odism had  been  introduced  into  America,  in  the  year  1766, 
by  the  preaching  of  Philip  Embury,  an  Irish  emigrant.  After 
that  period,  it  had  increased  to  such  an  extent,  as  to  require 
many  preachers,  some  of  whom  were  sent  from  England  from 
time  to  time  as  missionaries,  by  Mr.  Wesley.     In  the  year 


92  LIVKS    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

1776,  American  Independence  was  declared  by  the  Continen- 
tal Congress,  and  all  connection  between  Church  and  State  in 
America  ceased,  properly  speaking,  from  this  period.  Hither- 
to the  Societies  in  the  colonies  had  been  considered  by  the 
Father  of  Methodism,  and  by  the  preachers  generally,  as  so- 
cieties simply,  and  as  being  merely  an  appendage,  or  addition 
to  the  Church  of  England.  During  the  war,  however,  the 
most  of  the  Episcopal  Clergy,  had  forsaken  their  flocks,  and 
on  political  grounds  had  returned  to  England.  As  the  Meth- 
odist preachers  were  unordained,  themselves  and  flocks  looked 
exclusively  to  the  Episcopal  Clergy,  for  the  sacramental  ordi- 
nances ;  and  as  the  most  of  the  Clergy  had  left  as  above  de- 
scribed, the  consequence  was,  that  the  Methodists  for  seven. 
or  eight  years,  were  deprived  of  these  ordinances  almost  en- 
tirely. Petitions  were  frequently  sent  to  Mr.  Wesley  for  re- 
lief, and  at  the  close  of  the  war,  as  the  ecclesiastical,  as  well 
as  the  civil  relation  of  the  colonies  was  now  completely  severed 
between  them  and  Great  Britain,  it  became  necessary  for  Mr. 
Wesley  to  provide  for  his  "sheep  in  the  wilderness." 

Accordingly,  after  due  consultation  with  several  eminent 
livines  in  England,  and  being  convinced  that  the  high  Church 
claim  of  uninterrupted  succession  was  a  mere  chimera  of  the 
brain,  and  thatjie  himself  was  as  much  a  bishop  in  the  'proiier 
sense  of  that  term,  as  any  man  in  England,  Mr.  Wesley  on 
the  2d  day  of  September,  1784,  set  apart  by  the  imposition 
of  hands,  and  prayer,  Dr.  Coke  as  a  superintendent  or  bishop 
of  the  Societies  in  America.  He  also  commissioned  him  to 
organize  in  due  form  an  Episcopal  Church,  preferring  as  he 
did,  this  form  of  Church  government,  to  every  other.  He  also 
instructed  him  to  set  apart  Francis  Asbury  as  joint  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Church.  After  receiving  ordination.  Dr.  Coke 
sailed  for  America,  and  arrived  in  New  York,  on  the  3d  of 
November  following.  He  proceeded  with  the  approbation  of 
the  preachers,  to  call  an  extraordinary  session  of  the  Confer- 


THOMAS    COKE.  93 

ence  to  meet  in  Baltimore  on  the  25th  day  of  December  of 
the  same  year.  In  obedience  to  this  call,  a  large  majority 
of  the  preachers  met  on  the  day  appointed,  at  which  time, 
the  Doctor  explained  the  steps  taken  by  Mr.  Wesley  for  their 
relief  The  Conference  then  resolved  itself  into  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church  of  the  United  States  of  America,  and 
as  the  Doctor  was  unwilling  to  serve  as  their  bishop — although 
set  apart  to  the  office  by  Mr.  Wesley  himself — unless  the 
Conference  would  elect  him  by  their  own  suffrages  to  that 
office,  they  proceeded  to  elect  him  to  the  said  office,  and  in 
further  accordance  with  the  expressed  wishes  of  Mr.  Wesley, 
to  elect  Francis  Asbury  to  the  same  office  as  joint  Superin- 
tendent, the  latter  being  publicly  and  solemnly  ordained  by 
Bishop  Coke.  The  preachers  who  were  present,  and  who  were 
elio-ible,  were  ordained  deacons  of  the  Church,  and  author- 
ized  to  baptize  and  celebrate  marriage,  and  a  few  of  the  senior 
ones,  were  ordained  elders.  After  these  transactions  the  Con- 
ference adjourned,  the  preachers  returning  to  their  respective 
fields  of  labor,  and  meeting  everywhere  with  the  congratula- 
tions of  the  people  m  view  of  their  new  position  as  a  distinct 
ecclesiastical  body. 

The  lapse  of  nearly  seventy  years  since  the  organization 
of  the  church,  has  proved  the  far-seeing  wisdom  of  Mr,  Wes- 
ley, and  the  deep  penetration  of  Dr.  Coke,  in  providing  for 
the  future  well-being  of  the  infant  American  Societies,  which 
have  since  become  the  most  numerous  protestant  people,  both 
as  it  respects  members  and  adherents,  that  exists  on  the  Amer- 
ican continent. 

Immediately  after  the  adjournment  of  the  General  Confer- 
ence of  1784,  Bishop  Coke  took  his  leave  of  Baltimore  and 
began  a  course  of  extensive  travel  through  the  United  States, 
visiting  the  Societies  and  being  everywhere  received  as  the 
messenger  of  God.  He  also  in  connection  with  Bishop  As- 
bur}',  collected  funds  for  the  establishment  of  a  Methodist 


94  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS, 

College  near  Baltimore.  This  edifice,  however,  a  few- years 
subsequently  fell  a  prey  to  the  ravages  of  fire,  and  although 
another  suitable  building  was  afterwards  procured  in  the  city 
of  Baltimore,  that,  like  the  former,  was  consumed  by  fire. 

Having  discharged  the  duty  assigned  him  by  Mr.  Wesley, 
in  the  organization  of  the  church,  and  having  made  proper 
provision  for  its  government,  and  believing  that  his  services 
■were  not  immediately  called  for  in  America,  on  the  3d  of 
June,  1785,  he  bade  a  partial  farewell  to  the  American 
church,  and  returned  to  England.  After  having  reached  the 
shores  of  his  native  land,  he  commenced  travelling  through 
different  parts  of  the  kingdom,  visiting  Scotland,  Ireland,  and 
the  Isle  of  Man,  and  everywhere  endeavoring  to  awaken  an 
interest  in  behalf  of  the  American  church,  as  also,  in  behalf 
of  the  Methodists  of  Nova  Scotia. 

On  the  24th  of  September,  1786,  he  again  set  sail  for 
America,  intending  to  stop  at  Halifax  by  the  way,  and  estab- 
lish a  mission  in  that  place.  But  his  voyage  on  this  occasion 
was  attended  by  many  dangers  and  disasters,  so  much  so, 
that  he  did  not  reach  Halifax  at  all.  For  the  first  five  days 
after  his  embarkation,  the  ship  made  no  progress  in  conse- 
quence of  head  winds.  On  the  28th  of  September,  they  were 
nearly  run  down  by  another' vessel.  On  the  30th,  they  were 
forced  to  take  shelter  in  the  harbor  of  St.  Helena,  where  they 
remained  for  some  days,  and  it  was  not  until  the  14th  of  Oc- 
tober that  they  were  able  to  put  out  to  sea  with  the  prospect 
of  a  safe  and  speedy  voyage.  After  being  out  three  days, 
they  discovered  that  the  vessel  had  sprung  a  leak,  and  to  add 
to  the  danger,  the  leak  was  in  a  part  of  the  ship  where  it 
could  not  be  reached,  and  to  heighten  their  alarm  for  the 
safety  of  the  ship,  a  violent  gale  arose,  which  increased  the 
leak.  They,  however,  continued  on  the  wide  ocean,  the  sport 
of  the  winds  and  waves,  until  the  25th  of  November,  when 
one  of  the  masts  gave  way,  and  on  the  30th,  a  storm  still 


THOMAS    COKE,  95 

more  fierce  and  terrible  threatened  them  with  seemingly  in- 
evitable destruction.  The  captain's  wife  cried  out  in  the  most 
frantic  manner,  and  one  of  the  passengers  ran  to  ihe  Doctor, 
saying,  "  Pray  for  us,  Doctor,  pray  for  us  ;  we  are  just  gone  I" 
The  ship  was  indeed  on  her  beam-ends,  and  the  crew  were 
cutting  away  the  main-mast,  as  the  only  remedy.  Dr.  Coke 
and  his  companions  went  to  prayer,  and  soon  the  ship  righted, 
without  having  to  cut  away  the  mast. 

On  the  night  of  the  4th  December,  they  experienced 
another  dreadful  gale.  The  leak  in  the  ship  increased,  the 
sails  were  torn  to  fragments,  and  some  of  tlie  rigging  was 
carried  away.  On  the  next  day,  it  was  determined  by  the 
captain  and  crew  to  make  one  of  the  West  India  Islands,  if 
possible.  Still  the  storm  raged,  and  Dr.  Coke  and  his  asso- 
ciates betook  themselves  to  prayer,  but  the  captain,  instead 
of  joining  in  their  devotions,  became  superstitiously  agitated, 
and  imagining  he  must  have  a  Jonah  on  board,  paced  the 
deck  in  a  state  bordering  on  that  of  phrenzy.  At  length  he 
entered  the  Doctor's  cabin  in  a  paroxysm  of  rage,  seized  his 
papers  and  books,  and  threw  them  overboard,  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Doctor  to  bestow  upon  him  like  treatment,  but 
after  grasping  the  Doctor's  person,  and  shaking  him  violently, 
with  oaths  and  curses  and  the  most  bitter  language,  he  con- 
cluded to  let  poor  "  Jonali'  escape  for  this  time,  but  declar- 
ing, with  an  oath,  that  if  he  made  another  prayer  on  board, 
he  would  throw  the  Doctor  after  his  papers.  After  the  gale 
had  subsided,  however,  the  captain's  good  nature  returned, 
and  continued  during  the  remainder  of  the  voyage. 

On  the  25th  of  December,  the  weather-beaten  bark  reached 
the  island  of  Antigua,  and  the  Doctor  on  going  on  shore, 
much  to  his  gratification,  found  a  Mr.  Baxter,  a  member  of  the 
Society,  who  was  employed  as  a  ship-builder  in  the  Govern- 
ment dock-yard  at  Antigua.  A  Methodist  Society  had  been 
in  existence  in  this  island  for  a  number  of  years,  a  Mr.  Gil- 


96  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

bert,  speaker  of  the  House  of  Assembly,  having  introduced 
Methodism  about  thirty  years  previously.  After  his  death, 
Mr.  Baxter,  above  alluded  to,  on  his  arrival,  found  the  rem- 
nant of  a  Society  which  had  been  raised  by  Mr.  Gilbert. 
Being  himself  a  local  preacher,  he  felt  it  his  duty  to  preach 
occasionally,  and  through  his  instrumentality  the  Society  be- 
came enlarged  to  the  number  of  two  thousand  persons,  mostly 
blacks,  and  a  neat  chapel  had  been  erected  in  1783. 

As  the  Doctor  was  obliged  to  wait  for  the  sailing  of  a  ship 
for  the  American  Continent,  he  spent  his  time  on  this  and 
other  islands,  in  preaching  and  visiting  both  whites  and 
blacks ;  and  so  great  was  the  estimation  in  which  he  was 
held  by  the  former  class,  that  he  was  ofiered  X500  (two 
thousand  dollars)  a  year,  if  he  would  remain  among  them. 
He  was  also  cordially  received  by  the  higher  circles  in  society, 
and  had  the  honor  of  dining  on  one  occasion  with  the  Duke 
of  Clarence,  afterward  William  the  Fourth,  King  of  Great 
Britain,  who  happened  at  that  period  to  be  on  the  island. 

While  visiting  the  island  of  St.  Eustatius,  Dr.  Coke  be- 
came acquainted  with  the  history  of  a  poor  negro,  named 
Harry,  whose  pious  labors  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  his 
heroic  fortitude  under  persecution,  deserve  to  be  long  remem- 
bered. Harry  had  been  a  slave  on  the  American  Continent, 
and  had  been  imported  from  thence  to  Antigua.  He  had 
been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Society  in  America,  and  on 
his  arrival  on  the  island  he  found  himself  destitute  of  pious 
associates,  and  of  the  means  of  grace.  He  had,  however,  a 
burning  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  which  led  him,  in  his 
way,  to  bear  public  testimony  for  Christ  among  his  fellow- 
slaves.  The  novelty  of  a  negro  slave's  preaching,  drew 
many,  both  white  and  black,  to  hear  him,  and  among  the 
rest,  the  Governor  of  the  island,  who  approved  of  his  course. 
Under  the  labors  of  Black  Harry,  a  reformation  among  the 
negroes  took  place.     As  ia  characteristic  of  that  people,  there 


THOMAS    COKE.  97 

was  much  enthusiasm,  and  perhaps  some  wild  fire  arnpng  the 
converts,  which  so  discomposed  the  minds  of  the  planters, 
and  especially  of  the  Governor,  that  Harry  was  peremptorily 
ordered  by  the  latter  to  stop  his  preaching. 

Harry  was  obedient  to  the  mandate  for  some  time,  till  at 
length  supposing  that  the  storm  had  blown  over,  he  ventured 
to  pray  with  his  associates.  A  complaint,  however,  was 
lodged  against  him,  and  he  was  sentenced  by  the  governor  to 
be  .pubicly  whipped,  imprisoned,  and  banished  from  the 
island.  The  sentence  was  executed  to  the  letter,  and  after 
his  imprisonment  he  was  secretly  removed  by  the  authorities, 
so  that  nearly  all  were  ignorant  of  his  fate.  Prayer,  however, 
was  ofiered  for  him,  not  only  in  the  islands,  but  in  England 
where  his  history  had  become  known.  About  ten  years  after- 
wards, Dr.  Coke  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  this  sable  son  of 
affliction  in  the  United  States,  and  learned  to  his  satisfaction 
that  Harry,  whom  he  feared  was  dead,  was  still  alive,  in  pos- 
session of  his  freedom  ;  and  better  than  all,  still  on  his  way 
to  the  Kingdom. 

In  February,  1787,  Dr.  Coke  left  the  West  India  Islands, 
after  having  made  arrangements  to  afi'ord  them  a  partial 
supply  of  preachers  and  missionaries,  and  in  eighteen  days 
arrived  in  Charleston,  S.  C.  During  this  second  visit  to  Amer- 
ica the  Doctor  was  greeted  with  great  affection  and  esteem, 
except  by  a  few  who  were  not  on  very  friendly  terms  with 
him,  on  account  of  his  known  hostility  to  the  institution  of 
American  slavery.  At  that  early  day,  as  now,  the  interests 
of  this  institution  were  watched  with  a  jealous  eye  ;  and  the 
man  who  dared  openly  to  lift  his  voice  against  it,  might  expect 
opposition.  As  Dr.  Coke,  during  his  former  as  well  as  his 
present  visit,  considered  it  his  duty  thus  to  oppose  slavery  in  all 
its  forms,  a  degree  of  unreasonable  hostility  was  evinced  by 
some  against  him.  A  bill  of  indictment  was  found  against 
the  doctor  by  a  southern  grand  jury,  and  ninety  men  went  iu 

7 


98  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

pursuit  of  him  to  force  him  back  to  the  county  where  the  bill 
had  been  found.  They,  however,  did  not  proceed  far  before 
they  grew  weary  of  their  journey,  and  returned  without  him. 
From  the  south  the  Doctor  proceeded  northward,  and  after 
having  spent  about  three  months  in  travelling  from  place  to 
place,  in  the  latter  part  of  May  he  sailed  from  the  port  of 
Philadelphia  for  Dublin,  where  he  found  the  Irish  Conference 
in  session  with  Mr.  Wesley  presiding.  From  Ireland  he  pro- 
ceeded with  Mr.  Wesley  to  England  and  the  Norman  Isles, 
and  spent  all  his  time  during  this  year  in  aiding  Mr.  Wesley 
in  his  arduous  work. 

After  the  English  Conference  of  1788,  Dr.  Coke  and  three 
missionaries  sailed  for  the  West  Indies,  where  he  remained 
visiting  from  island  to  island,  and  establishing  missions,  until 
the  next  February,  when  he  again  set  sail  for  the  United 
States.  On  his  arrival  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  he  immediately 
directed  his  course  northward  for  the  purpose  of  meeting 
Bishop  Asbury,  and  attending  the  Conferences  in  connection 
with  him.  During  this,  his  third  visit,  he  remained  from 
February  to  June,  travelling  through  nearly  all  the  States, 
and  performing  a  vast  amount  of  labor. 

On  the  5th  of  June,  1789,  he  sailed  for  Liverpool,  which  he 
reached  on  the  17th  of  July  following,  and  immediately  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Conference  to  plead  the  cause  of  the  poor  West 
India  negroes,  and  beg  for  missionaries.  The  Conference  ap- 
pointed him  an  agent  to  collect  funds  to  sustain  the  missiona- 
ries ;  and  for  the  ensuing  sixteen  months,  in  this  department 
of  the  work  he  was  greatly  successful,  not  only  in  securing 
pecuniary  aid,  but  in  awakening  missionary  zeal  among  the 
Methodists  of  England,  which  has  not  abated  to  the  present 

day. 

In  October,  1790,  he  again  sailed  for  the  West  Indies  in 
company  with  a  reinforcement  of  missionaries.  After  his  ar- 
rival, he  found  that  the  >vork  of  God  had  been  spreading  in 


THOMAS    COKE.  99 

the  islands  during  his  absence.  While  preaching  in  one  of 
the  islands  on  a  certain  occasion, — the  room  having  been  for- 
merly a  theatre, — such  was  the  power  of  the  Doctor's  elo- 
quence that  the  audience  became  perfectly  enraptured,  and 
strangely  forgetting  the  occasion,  if  they  remembered  the 
place,  gave  vent  to  their  approbation  by  crying  out,  "  Encore  ! 
encore  I" — a  French  theatrical  phrase,  which  means  a  repeti- 
tion of  the  performance.  He  was  not,  however,  so  popular  in 
some  other  places,  nor  were  his  sermons  always  so  well  appre- 
ciated as  by  the  Shaksperian  congregation  alluded  to  above. 
Some  of  the  newspapers  teemed  with  malicious  libels  against 
him.  It  was  even  asserted  that  he  had  been  tried  in  England 
for  horse-stealing,  and  had  come  to  America  to  escape  the  gal- 
lows. Riots  were  frequent,  and  when  in  one  case,  the  rioters 
were  complained  of  to  the  grand  jury,  the  latter  dignified  body 
gave  it  as  their  opinion,  that  both  the  preacher  and  tho 
chapel  ought  to  be  indicted  as  nuisances. 

In  February,  1791,  he  again  landed  in  Charleston,  S.  C, 
for  the  purpose  of  making  a  fourth  visit  to  the  United  States 
brethren.  He  met  the  Conference  which  was  in  session  in 
Charleston,  and  after  its  adjournment  proceeded  on  a  tour  of 
visitation,  which  he  continued  until  the  fourteenth  of  May  ; 
when,  having  heard  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Wesley,  he  returned 
to  England  to  join  his  tears  and  sorrows  with  those  of  his 
ministerial  and  lay  brethren  at  home. 

At  the  ensuing  English  Conference,  Dr.  Coke  was  elected 
Secretary  of  the  same,  an  evidence  of  the  high  estimation  in 
which  he  was  held  by  his  English  brethren.  Some  time  after 
this  he  visited  France  for  the  purpose  of  introducing  Wesleyan 
missionaries  into  that  nation,  and  then  returned  to  London  for 
the  purpose  of  preparing  a  life  of  Mr.  Wesley  for  the  press, 
where  he  remained  until  after  the  next  Conference,  when  he 
asain  sailed  for  the  United  States.  After  his  arrival  he  atten- 
ded  the  Conferences,  and  travelled  over  different  States  of  the 


100  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

Union  until  December,  when  he  made  another  visit  to  the 
West  Indies,  where  the  fires  of  persecution  had  been  raging 
violently  against  the  Methodists  since  the  time  of  his  former 
visit.  But  notwithstanding  these  persecutions,  Methodism  by 
the  blessing  of  God  continued  to  spread,  so  that  at  this  period 
the  number  of  members  in  Society  was  not  far  from  seven 
thousand,  with  twelve  regular  missionaries,  and  ten  mission 
stations.  Having  met  these  missionaries  in  Conference,  he 
sailed  for  England,  where  he  arrived  in  June,  1793. 

On  his  visit  to  one  of  the  West  India  islands, — St.  Vincent 
— he  found  Kev.  Mr.  Lamb,  the  missionary  in  that  island, 
confined  in  the  common  jail,  for  having  dared  to  preach  the 
Gospel  without  a  license  from  the  legislature  of  the  island, 
which  no  one  could  obtain  until  they  had  resided  twelve 
months  on  the  island.  Rectors  of  parishes,  were  exempt  from 
the  requirements  of  this  law.  The  penalty  for  violating  this 
law  was,  for  the  first  offence,  fine,  or  imprisonment  for  from 
thirty  to  ninety  days  ;  second  offence,  whipping,  and  banish- 
ment ;  and  a  return  from  banishment,  death  !  As  Mr.  Lamb 
had  preached  in  the  chapel,  he  as  above  stated,  was  under- 
going the  sentence  of  the  law,  being  confined  in  the  same 
room  with  a  capitally  convicted  criminal.  An  effort  was 
made  by  the  Doctor  to  procure  the  liberation  of  Mr.  Lamb, 
but  this  he  could  not  succeed  in  doing,  unless  he  would  pay 
an  exorbitant  fine,  which  had  been  imposed  in  addition  to  the 
imprisonment,  which  fine,  neither  Dr.  Coke,  nor  Mr.  Lamb 
would  consent  to  pay,  as  they  would  thereby  seem  to  acknowl- 
edge the  justice  of  the  law.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  the  Doctor 
arrived  in  England,  he  posted  with  all  speed  to  the  colonial 
office,  and  made  a  proper  statement  of  facts  to  the  Home  gov- 
ernment ;  and  in  a  short  time  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  being 
officially  informed  by  one  of  his  majesty's  secretaries  of  state, 
that  the  law  under  which  Mr.  Lamb  was  imprisoned  had 
been  repealed  by  the  supreme  power.     The  Doctor  also  visit- 


THOMAS    COKE.  101 

ed  Holland  for  the  purpose,  if  possible,  of  obtaining  permission 
of  the  Dutch  Government  for  Missionaries  to  be  allowed  to 
preach  in  the  Dutch  West  India  islands,  but  all  his  efforts, 
although  backed  up  by  the  recommendation  of  the  Right  Hon. 
Henry  Dundas,  one  of  his  British  Majesty's  secretaries  of  state, 
were  inefibctual  in  gaining  the  desired  permission. 

The  Doctor  next  projected  the  establishment  of  a  Wesleyan 
mission  in  the  neighborhood  of  Sierra  Leone,  Africa ;  and  for 
this  purpose  he  travelled  extensively  for  the  collection  of  funds, 
as  also  to  provide  suitable  persons  to  undertake  the  mission. 
After  a  length  of  time,  some  five  or  six  respectable  and  pro- 
fessedly-pious mechanics,  and  their  wives,  were  engaged  to 
emigrate  for  the  purpose  of  teaching  the  arts  of  civilization  to 
the  African  race.  But  although  thus  successful  in  obtaining 
money  and  persons  for  the  mission,  and  these  persons  actually 
went  to  Africa,  yet  partly  through  the  secular  nature  of  the 
intended  enterprise,  and  mostly  through  the  unworthiness  of 
some  of  the  persons  selected,  the  mission  for  that  time  proved 
a  failure  ;  but  still  the  Doctor  continued  his  eiibrts  in  behalf 
of  various  missions,  approaching  high  and  low,  rich  and  poor, 
and  not  without  success.  On  one  occasion  he  called  on  the 
captain  of  a  British  frigate,  and  pleaded  the  cause  of  the  poor 
negro,  and  received  from  the  captain  a  handsome  donation. 
As  the  latter  was  totally  unacquainted  with  Dr.  Coke,  he 
afterwards  made  inquiry  of  a  gentleman  in  reference  to  him, 
"  Pray,  Sir,"  said  the  captain,  "  do  you  know  anything  of  a 
little  fellow,  who  calls  himself  Dr.  Coke,  who  is  going  about 
begging  money  for  missionaries  to  be  sent  among  the  slaves  ?" 
"I  know  him  well,"  was  the  reply.  "He  seems,"  said  the 
Captain,  "  to  be  a  heavenlymitided  little  devil,  he  coaxed  me 
out  of  two  guineas  this  morning." 

On  the  Gth  of  August  1796,  Dr.  Coke  again  set  sail  for 
America.  He  had  paid  eighty  guineas  for  his  passage,  but 
soon  found  that  the  provisions,  &c.,  laid  in  for  the  voyage,  were 


102  LIVES    OP    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

of  the  meanest  and  coarsest  quality.  To  add  to  the  wrong 
thus  practised  upon  the  passengers,  the  captain  was  one  of  the 
most  abandoned  wretches,  that  ever  walked  the  deck  of  a  ship, 
and  who  conspired  with  another  captain  who  was  on  board, 
to  make  the  voyage  as  disagreeable  to  the  Doctor  as  po&^sible. 
The  treatment  received  by  the  latter,  brought  on  a  fit  of  sick- 
ness, which  lasted  three  weeks.  After  having  been  to  sea 
some  weeks,  they  came  across  the  wreck  of  a  ship,  with  the 
remainder  of  the  crew  in  a  most  wretched  situation.  These 
poor  fellows  were  rescued  from  a  watery  grave,  and  from 
death  by  starvation,  and  on  the  3d  of  October  came  in  sight 
of  the  American  shore. 

Dr.  Coke  immediately  on  his  arrival,  proceeded  to  Balti- 
more, and  subsequently  attended  the  sessions  of  the  Conference, 
and  travelled  and  preached  extensively  for  four  months,  when 
he  again  returned  to  Europe.  On  the  passage  homeward,  an 
amusing  instance  of  a  sailor's  simplicity  occurred,  which  is 
worth  recording.  When  the  ship  left  Charleston,  they  were 
wafted  by  a  severe  gale  across  the  Atlantic,  so  that  in  four 
weeks  they  made  the  Irish  Channel.  The  gale  now  gave 
place  to  a  great  calm,  which  lasted  for  sixteen  days.  The 
Captain  attributed  this  calm  to  Dr.  Coke's  reading  a  large 
folio  volume.  During  the  first  few  days,  he  hinted  his  wishes 
that  the  perusal  of  the  book  was  finished.  Growing  out  of  pa- 
tience, he  at  last  told  the  Doctor,  that  they  never  would  have 
a  wind,  till  the  reading  of  that  book  was  finished.  The  Doc- 
tor at  once  offered  to  lay  the  book  aside  ;  "  No,  no,"  rejoined 
the  Captain,  "  that  will  not  do  ;  it  must  be  finished,  or  we 
shall  have  no  wind."  The  Doctor  to  please  him  finished  the 
book  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  just  as  he  had  finished  the 
wind  sprung  up,  and  in  thirty-six  hours,  they  were  wafted 
into  harbor. 

Before  leaving  America  the  last  time,  the  Doctor  had  made 
up  his  mind  to  comply  with  the  wishes  of  the  American 


THOMAS    COKE.  103 

preachers  to  settle  permanently  among  them,  and  engaged 
himself  to  do  so  after  having  made  another  visit  to  England. 
The  English  Conference,  however,  could  not  consent  to  his 
leaving  them,  and  requested  the  American  brethren  to  cancel 
the  Doctor's  engagements  in  this  respect,  and  allow  him  to 
settle  in  England.  Having  remained  in  the  latter  country 
about  four  months,  he  again  embarked  for  America,  where 
he  remained  until  the  spring  of  1798,  attending  to  all  his  du- 
ties as  a  superintendent,  or  bishop  of  the  Church.  The  Gen- 
eral Conference  having  taken  into  consideration  the  urgent 
request  of  the  British  Conference,  consented  to  "  lencV  the 
Doctor  to  the  latter  for  a  season  only. 

On  his  return  to  England,  he  resumed  his  labors  of  preach- 
ing, and  writing,  besides  soliciting  aid  for  missions.  He  also 
projected  a  plan  for  the  introduction  of  a  protestant  ministry 
among  the  degraded  Romish  peasantry  of  Ireland.  He  also 
obtained  the  rescinding  of  a  municipal  law  by  which  the  in- 
habitants of  the  isles  of  Jersey,  and  Guernsey,  were  required 
to  attend  military  trainings  on  the  Sabbath,  on  pain  of  ban- 
ishment from  the  islands.  Some  correspondence  also  passed 
between  him  and  the  Bishop  of  London,  and  the  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury  in  relation  to  the  propriety  of  their  lordships' 
making  some  provision  whereby  a  total  separation  of  the 
Methodists  in  England,  from  the  establishment,  might  be  pre- 
vented. The  bishops  returned  courteous  answers,  but  de- 
clined making  the  desired  provision  by  ordaining  any  of  the 
preachers. 

In  1800,  Dr.  Coke  made  his  eighth  visit  to  America,  where 
he  spent  several  months  in  the  discharge  of  the  usual  duties 
of  his  high  and  holy  office.  He  also  visited  the  West  Indies, 
and  near  the  close  of  the  year  returned  to  England.  After 
his  arrival,  he  formed  a  plan  for  the  introduction  of  Wesleyan 
Methodism  into  Wales,  by  which  the  natives  of  that  princi- 
pality might  hear  the  doctrines  of  a  free  and  full  salvation 


104  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

proclaimed  in  the  Welch  tongue.  This  enterprise,  when  first 
mentioned,  was  thought  to  be  altogether  too  romantic  a  one 
to  be  seriously  engaged  in  ;  but  otherwise  thought  Dr.  Coke, 
and  the  lapse  of  ten  years  proved  that  the  object  was  not  a 
mere  visionary  one,  as  the  sixty  Wesleyan  chapels,  the  thir- 
ty-six travelling  preachers,  and  the  five  thousand  members  of 
that  period,  abundantly  proved. 

In  the  year  1801,  Dr.  Coke  published  his  Commentary  on 
the  Old  Testament,  a  work  which  nine  years  previously,  at 
the  request  of  the  English  Conference,  he  had  began  to  pre- 
pare. It  was  issued  in  numbers,  and  met  with  a  ready  sale, 
the  delivery  of  those  on  the  New  Testament  being  completed 
in  1807. 

In  1803,  he  made  his  ninth  and  last  visit  to  the  United 
States.  Here  he  spent  several  months,  presiding  in  the  Con- 
ference, and  travelling  extensively,  until  his  return  to  Eng- 
land in  1804.  In  1805,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  a  Miss 
Smith,  of  Bradford,  Wiltshire.  This  lady,  possessed  of  an  in- 
dependent fortune,  was  every  way  worthy  of  so  distinguished 
a  companion  as  Dr.  Coke.  His  first  acquaintance  with  her, 
was  formed  by  soliciting  aid  for  missions.  On  being  recom- 
mended by  a  friend  to  apply  to  the  lady  for  aid,  she  generous- 
ly subscribed  one  hundred  guineas,  nearly  $500.  On  calling 
on  her  at  her  residence,  to  receive  the  above,  the  lady  doubled 
the  amount,  and  gave  him  two  hundred  guineas.  The  Doc- 
tor, admiring  such  acts  of  benevolence,  contracted  marriage 
with  the  lady.  She  only  lived  in  his  society  till  1811,  when 
she  died  in  London,  having  in  the  meantime,  devoted  a  large 
share  of  her  wealth  to  the  cause  of  spreading  scriptural  holi- 
ness through  the  world. 

After  his  marriage,  the  Doctor  still  continued  to  devote 
himself  to  the  good  of  mankind,  by  writing,  preaching,  pray- 
ing, begging  for  missions,  and  keeping  a  constant  lookout  for 
any  encroachment  upon  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  So- 


THOMAS    COKE.  105 

cieties  at  home  by  the  Government,  or  its  officers  ;  and  of 
those  of  the  preachers  and  negroes  in  the  West  Indies,  by  the 
colonial  authorities;  and  such  was  his  influence  with  the 
King  and  his  privy  council,  that  scarcely  any  remonstrance 
that  he  presented  to  them,  was  unheeded,  or  any  grievance 
complained  of,  unredressed.  The  Doctor  also  gave  from  his 
own  private  purse,  nearly  three  thousand  dollars,  for  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  mission  in  Sierra  Leone. 

A.fter  the  death  of  his  beloved  wife,  he  married  again.  The 
maiden  name  of  the  latter  lady  was  Miss  Ann  Loxdale,  of 
Liverpool,  who  had  for  a  number  of  years  been  an  esteemed 
member  of  the  Methodist  Society  in  that  city.  But,  alas  I 
for  human  hopes,  she  too,  died  in  about  a  year  after  her  mar- 
riage, and  her  remains  were  deposited  beside  those  of  his 
former  companion,  in  the  family  vault  in  Wales. 

In  1813,  Dr.  Coke  coiiceived  the  Utopian  plan  of  visiting 
India,  and  of  personally  superintending  the  establishment  of 
a  mission  in  that  distant  land.  He  found  seven  preachers 
who  were  willing  to  volunteer  for  that  field  of  labor,  whose 
names  he  presented  to  the  Conference.  The  only  objection 
to  the  establishment  of  the  mission,  was  the  cost  of  the  outfit, 
nearly  $27,000.  To  remove  this  objection,  the  Doctor  offered 
to  bear  the  whole  expense  himself,  and  accordingly,  \vith  the 
approbation  and  prayers  of  the  Conference,  the  party  sailed 
from  England  on  the  31st  of  October.  The  missionaries  con- 
tinued their  voyage  until  the  3d  of  May  following,  at  which 
time  they  were,  in  the  Indian  Ocean.  Nothing  special  had 
transpired,  except  the  death  of  one  of  the  female  missionaries. 
On  the  1st  of  May,  Dr.  Coke  felt  somewhat  unwell,  and  took 
a  little  medicine.  On  the  2d,  he  was  still  a  little  indisposed, 
but  was  up  on  deck.  On  the  morning  of  the  3d,  his  servant 
knocked  at  his  cabin-door,  when  receiving  no  response,  he 
ventured  to  open  the  door,  and  to  his  utter  astonishment 
found  the  Doctor  lying  on  the  floor,  lifeless  and  cold.     His 


106  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

death  was  no  doubt  caused  by  a  fit  of  apoplexy,  and  it  being 
impossible  to  preserve  the  body  so  as  to  send  it  to  England,  it 
was  enclosed  in  a  heavy  coffin,  and  amidst  the  tears  and 
prayers  of  his  pious,  but  now  forsaken  associates,  was  com- 
mitted to  the  bosom  of  the  great  deep. 

Thus  died  the  Reverend  Bishop  Coke,  on  the  3d  of  May, 
1814,  in  the  66th  year  of  his  age — a  man  whose  time,  talents, 
wealth,  ease,  honor,  and  fame,  were  placed  upon  the  altar  of 
Methodism,  for  the  good  of  mankind  ;  a  man  who  had  eighteen 
times  crossed  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  promote  its  interests ;  a 
man  who  had  travelled  hundreds  of  thousands  of  miles,  and 
had  endured  all  manner  of  contumely  and  reproach  for  its 
sake.  Such  an  event  could  not  transpire,  without  causing  a 
sensation  of  deep  sorrow  through  all  the  ranks  of  Methodism. 
Indeed,  what  portion  of  the  world  is  there,  where  Methodism 
now  exists,  that  has  not  been  benefited  directly  or  indirectly 
by  the  good  Doctor's  labors  ?  Truly  it  may  be  said  of  him, 
that  "  He  being  dead,  yet  speaketh,"  and  that  when  he  died, 
"  A  great  man  in  Israel  had  fallen." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

ADAM  CLARKE,  LL.D.,  F.A.S. 

Tras  extraordinary  man  was  born  in  the  village  of  Moybeg, 
county  of  Londonderry,  Ireland.  The  precise  date  of  his  birth 
is  not  known,  as  no  registry  of  this  event  or  of  his  baptism 
could  ever  be  found  in  the  records  of  the  parish  church,  to 
which  his  father  belonged.  It  was  probable,  however,  that 
he  was  born  in  the  spring  of  1760,  as  the  minister  who  bap- 
tized him  died  shortly  after  this  date.  Adam  was  the  second 
son  of  John  Clarke,  M.A.  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  whose 
hopes  of  preferment  in  the  Established  Church  being  blasted 
on  account  of  his  marriage,  induced  him  to  resolve  on  emigra- 
ting to  America,  which  resolution  he  was  only  prevented  from 
executing  by  the  remonstrances  of  friends.  After  having 
changed  his  purpose  he  retired  to  the  obscure  village  where 
Adam  was  born,  and  where  the  father  gained  a  livelihood  by 
teaching  school — an  employment  for  which  he  was  no  doubt 
well  qualified  by  inclination,  as  well  as  by  learning. 

At  the  age  of  five  years,  Adam  was  attacked  severely  with 
the  small-pox.  His  medicine  consisted  mostly  of  spirituous 
liquors  given  for  the  purpose  of  driving  out  the  "  pock,"  while 
the  patient  was  covered  over  with  a  large  quantity  of  clothes 
in  a  warm  bed,  and  the  curtains  drawn  so  as  to  exclude  every 
particle  of  external  air  !  Against  such  fond  yet  foolish  treat- 
ment young  Adam  rebelled,  and  as  often  as  opportunity  offered 
ran  out  of  doors  entirely  naked  ;  and  although  forewarned  of 
consequences  as  dreadful  as  death  itself  for  so  doing,  he  persist- 


108  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

ed  in  exposing  himself  to  the  open  air  ;  and  although  covered 
with  pustules  from  the  crown  of  his  head  to  the  soles  of  his 
feet,  he  mercifully  recovered  without  having  a  single  mark 
left  upon  his  person. 

At  an  early  age,  Adam  was  sent  to  the  village  school  to 
learn  the  alphabet,  &c.,  but  so  slow  was  he  in  acquiring  a 
knowledge  of  the  first  rudiments  of  learning,  that  his  teacher 
pronounced  him  to  be  a  grievous  dunce.  Another  teacher 
however,  who  happened  to  be  present  when  the  last  remark 
was  made,  placing  his  hand  on  Adam's  head,  encouragingly 
said,  "  This  lad  will  make  a  good  scholar  yet."  After  having 
acquired  a  knowledge  of  reading,  his  father  put  him  to  the 
study  of  the  Latin  grammar.  Some  portions  of  his  text-book 
he  committed  to  memory  with  great  difficulty,  but  other  por- 
tions were  perfectly  incomprehensible  to  his  juvenile  mind. 
In  perfect  despair  he  threw  by  his  grammar,  and  taking  up 
an  English  testament  he  went  into  an  English  class,  deter- 
mined to  study  English  only.  His  teacher  perceiving  his  inten- 
tions, exclaimed  in  terrific  tones,  "  Sir,  what  brought  you 
here?  Where  is  your  Latin  grammar?"  Adam  began  to 
weep,  and  said,  "  Sir,  I  cannot  learn  it."  "  Go  sirrah,"  said 
the  teacher,  "  and  take  up  your  grammar :  if  you  do  not 
speedily  get  that  lesson,  I  shall  pull  your  ears  as  long  as  Joiv- 
le/s  (a  dog),  and  you  shall  be  a  beggar  to  the  day  of  your 
death."  Poor  Adam  went  to  his  seat,  and  was  accosted  by 
one  of  his  classmates  with  the  .words,  "What,  have  you  not 
learned  that  lesson  yet  ?  0,  what  a  stupid  ass  !"  This  was 
too  much  for  Adam  to  endure  without  making  an  effort  to  re- 
deem his  character.  His  mind  was  made  up  to  show  to  the 
teachers  and  scholars  that  he  was  not  a  jackass.  He  seized 
his  grammar,  and  in  a  few  moments  committed  his  lesson  to 
memory  and  recited  it  without  missing  a  word  ;  and  finally 
wearied  his  teacher  with  the  frequency  of  his  recitations. 
Thus,  through  the  taunts  and  jeers  of  a  school-fellow,  was  the 


ADAM    CLARKE.  109 

hidden  spark  of  genius  in  Adam  Clarke  suddenly  brought  to 
light,  and  gave  tokens  of  the  future  greatness  of  the  man. 

Adam  now  became  very  fond  of  reading,  and  all  the  money 
he  obtained  as  presents,  he  carefully  expended  for  books.  At 
first  his  means  were  small,  and  he  was  obliged  to  content 
himself  with  penny  or  two-penny  books,  such  as  Tom  Thumb, 
Jack  the  Giant  Killer,  Babes  in  the  Wood,  kc.  &c.  By 
readinof  such  works  his  mind  became  somewhat  attached  to 
romance  ;  and  he  even  ventured  on  the  study  of  magic,  but 
his  mind  becoming  somewhat  enlightened  on  the  subject  of 
that  art,  he,  from  conscientious  scruples,  brought  his  studies 
in  that  beiritching  department  abruptly  to  an  end. 

Adam's  father,  as  before  intimated,  was  a  member  of  the 
Church  of  England.  His  mother,  however,  was  a  Presbyte- 
rian of  the  Puritan  stamp,  and  early  inculcated  upon  the 
minds  of  her  children  the  importance  of  religion  ;  but  Adam 
was  too  much  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge  as  well  as 
in  the  amusements  peculiar  to  youth,  to  pay  much  regard  to 
religious  counsels  any  farther  than  to  obey  his  parents  and 
lead  a  moral  life,  until  he  was  about  seventeen  years  of  age. 
At  this  time,  the  neighborhood  where  he  lived  was  visited  by 
certain  Methodist  preachers.  On  one  occasion,  Adam  w^as 
invited  by  a  young  man  to  attend  the  Methodist  meeting  for 
the  purpose,  as  he  expressed  it,  of  having  some  fun.  Such 
an  object  was  a  strange  one  in  the  opinion  of  Clarke.  He  had 
attended  balls  and  parties  for  the  sake  of  the  "fun;"  but 
although  he  had  very  little  if  any  acquaintance  with  the 
Methodists,  he  knew  that  a  religious  meeting  of  any  kind  was 
no  place  to  seek  for  amusement.  He,  however,  concluded  to 
attend  for  the  sake  of  information,  and  was  so  much  edified 
•with  the  discourse  of  Mr.  Brettel  (the  gentleman  who 
preached),  that  the  next  week  he  went  to  another  neighbor- 
hood to  hear  him. 

Mr.  Brettel    was  succeeded  on  the  circuit  by  Mr.  Barber, 


110  LIVES    OB'  EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

and  under  the  labors  of  the  latter  gentleman,  young  Clarke 
and  his  mother  became  deeply  interested  in  the  subject  of 
personal  salvation  ;  and  having  attended  class-meeting  became 
still  more  serious,  until  at  length  Mr.  Barber  enrolled  Adam's 
name  as  a  member  of  a  small  class  which  had  been  formed. 
He  shortly  after,  for  the  first  time,  received  the  sacrament  at 
the  hands  of  the  parish  minister,  but  still  he  Mvas  a  stranger 
to  pardoning  mercy.  He  became  about  this  time  the  subject 
of  strong  temptation  in  relation  to  the  propriety  of  praying  to 
Jesus  Christ,  which  some  of  his  Socinian  friends  alleged  was 
an  unscriptural  and  idolatrous  practice.  Giving  way  to  the 
temptation,  he  ceased  praying  to  the  Son,  and  made  his  peti- 
tions to  the  Father  without  ever  mentioning  the  name  of 
Christ.  Being  under  strong  convictions  for  sin,  he  was  led 
frequently  to  call  upon  God  to  have  mercy  upon  him,  but  all 
his  prayers  seemed  to  be  in  vain.  While  one  day  in  a  field 
alone  praying  for  pardon,  he  wrestled  with  God  until  his 
strength  was  exhausted,  and  he  could  no  longer  speak  or 
pray.  In  this  his  hour  of  extreme  agony,  the  Spirit  whispered, 
"  Pray  to  Christy  He  at  once  complied  with  the  sugges- 
tion, and  soon  his  whole  soul  was  overwhelmed  with  a  sense 
of  the  divine  presence  and  approbation.  But  still  he  was  ig- 
norant of  the  fact  that  he  was  converted ;  and  it  was  not 
until  some  time  after,  when  being  at  the  same  spot  in  company 
with  Mr.  Barber,  that  he  obtained  the  Witness  of  the  Spirit, 
and  became  satisfied  in  regard  to  the  nature  of  the  work 
wrought  in  his  heart. 

As  soon  as  Adam  became  convinced  that  he  was  a  child 
of  God,  he  returned  home  to  tell  what  great  things  the  Lord 
had  done  for  his  soul.  He  also,  notwithstanding  his  youth, 
erected  a  family  altar  in  his  father's  house,  and  through  his 
pious  counsels  and  fervent  prayers  in  their  behalf,  the  most 
of  the  family  finally  became  the  subjects  of  converting  grace, 
as  did  also  some  of  his  school-fellows. 


ADAM    CLAEKE.  Ill 

In  the  above,  and  other  ways,  young  Clarke  began  to  ren- 
der himself  useful  in  the  vineyard  of  Christ.  He  frequently 
went  several  miles  from  home,  for  the  purpose  of  attending 
class-meeting,  and  giving  the  "  word  of  exhortation."  He 
would  even  go  from  village  to  village,  and  entering  into  a 
house,  would  say,  "  Peace  be  to  this  house,"  and  request  them 
to  call  in  their  neighbors,  which  if  they  consentad  to  do,  he 
would  pray  for,  and  exhort  them,  and  then  repair  to  the  next 
village  for  a  like  purpose.  In  this  way,  Adam  Clarke,  almost 
unconsciously  to  himself,  became  an  itinerant  preacher,  while 
his  extreme  youth  and  interesting  deportment,  made  him  a 
favorite  wherever  he  went. 

As  it  was  now  time  that  Adam  should  engage  in  some  em- 
ployment by  which  he  could  in  subsequent  life  gain  a  subsist- 
ence, and  as  neither  he  nor  his  parents,  ever  supposed  that  he 
would  become  a  Methodist  preacher,  he  was  put  as  an  ap- 
prentice to  a  linen-draper,  in  Coleraine,  by  the  name  of 
Bennet,  where  he  remained  nearly  a  year,  but  without  being 
indentured.  While  remaining  at  Mr.  Bennet's,  young  Clarke's 
religious  friends  suggested  to  him  their  belief,  that  God  in- 
tended him  for  the  ministry,  and  becoming  persuaded  in  his 
own  mind  that  such  indeed  was  the  fact,  he  parted  from  his 
friend  Mr.  Bennet,  with  the  kindest  feelings,  having  been  in- 
strumental while  there,  in  the  conversion  of  one  of  his  do- 
mestics. 

After  leaving  Mr.  Bennet,  young  Clarke  not  having  received 
what  he  considered  to  be  a  satisfactory  call  as  yet,  to  the 
regular  work  of  the  ministry,  waited  patiently  for  any  indica- 
tions that  Providence  might  give  him  in  relation  to  duty. 
Shortly  after  this,  he  was  invited  by  Mr.  Bredin,  the  circviit 
preacher,  to  visit  him  for  a  week  or  two.  Adam  accepted 
the  invitiition,  and  being  requested  by  Mr.  Bredin  to  go  and 
fill  his  place  the  next  evening,  and  to  be  sure  and  take  a 
text,  he  reluctantly  consented  to  go,  and  on  the  19th  of  June, 


112  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

1782,  he  preached  his  first  sermon  from  1  John  v.  19.  In 
the  meantime,  Mr.  Bredin  had  written  to  Mr.  Wesley  in 
England,  about  Mr.  Clarke,  and  the  former  having  received 
an  appointment  in  England,  was  requested  to  bring  Adam 
with  him,  that  he  might  be  placed  in  Kingswood  School  for 
the  purpose  of  improving  his  classical  knowledge.  Adam 
having  laid  the  matter  before  his  parents,  found  them  to  be 
highly  displeased  with  the  proposal.  His  father  was  enraged, 
and  his  mother  threatened  him  with  God's  displeasure,  and 
informed  him  that  if  he  "went,  he  should  have  a  parent's 
curse,  and  not  her  blessing  to  go  with  him.  Under  these 
circumstances,  not  daring  to  leave  home  with  a  mother's 
curse,  he  had  recourse  to  prayer,  and  was  surprised  a  few 
days  afterward  to  find  that  his  mother  had  changed  her  mind 
in  relation  to  the  matter,  and  that  both  parents  were  willing 
to  submit  to  the  indications  of  Providence. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  days,  he  left  the  parental  mansion, 
and  being  disappointed  in  not  having  the  company  of  Mr. 
Bredin,  he  set  sail  from  the  port  of  Derry  for  Liverpool,  hav- 
ing purchased,  previously  to  embarking,  a  loaf  of  bread  and  a 
pound  of  cheese,  as  provision  for  the  voyage.  In  two  days, 
they  arrived  in  Liverpool,  but  while  ascending  the  river 
Mersey,  they  were  boarded  by  a  press-gang,  who  were  raising 
supplies  for  the  navy.  Two  young  men  who  were  on  board, 
hid  themselves,  but  Adam  stood  liis  ground,  all  the  while 
lifting  his  heart  to  God  in  prayer.  The  press-gang  searched 
the  vessel,  and  finding  one  of  the  young  men  who  had  hidden 
himself,  took  him  with  them,  but  for  some  reason  left  Adam 
unmolested,  saving  the  utterance  of  a  horrid  oath  by  the 
lieutenant  of  the  gang,  followed  by  the  words  "  you'll  not  do." 
Mr.  Clarke  ever  after  this,  had  an  enduring  hatred  for  the 
system  of  impressment  as  pursued  in  England  ;  and  well  he 
might,  for  as  he  himself  remarks  in  relation  to  it,  "  What 
Briton's  bosom  does  not  burn  against  this  infringement  of 


ADAM    CLARKE.  113 

British  liberty  ?  This  unconstitutional  attack  on  the  liberty 
of  a  free-born  subject  of  the  Sovereign  of  the  British  Isles  ? 
While  the  impress  service  is  tolerated,  in  vain  do  we  boast 
of  our  constitution.  It  is  an  attack  upon  its  vitality  ten 
thousand  times  worse  than  any  suspension  of  the  Habeas 
Corpus  act.  Let  Britons  know,  that  it  is  neither  any  part 
of  the  constitution,  nor  any  law  of  the  land,  whatever  some 
venal  lawyers  have  said,  in  order  to  make  it  constructively 
such.  Nothing  can  be  a  reason  for  it,  but  that  which  justi- 
fies a  levee  en  masse,  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  nation.  It  is 
intolerable  to  hear  those  plead  for  it,  who  are  not  exposed  to 
60  great  a  calamity." 

On  Adam's  arrival  in  Liverpool,  he  was  kindly  entertained 
in  the  family  of  the  captain  of  the  vessel  which  had  brought 
him  over.  The  captain's  name  was  Cunningham,  a  Scotch- 
man, and  he  and  his  excellent  lady  conspired  to  make  his  stay 
with  them  as  pleasant  as  possible  ;  and  while  enjoying  their 
hospitality,  Mr.  Clarke  endeavored  to  make  himself  as  useful 
in  a  spiritual  sense,  as  he  could.  When  he  left  them,  he  ex- 
pected, as  a  matter  of  course,  to  pay  his  bill  like  all  other 
private  boarders,  but  Mrs.  C.  informed  him  that  he  had  noth- 
ing to  pay,  "  You  owe  nothing  here  ;  Captain  C,  myself,  and 
all  the  family,  are  deeply  in  your  debt.  You  have  been  a 
blessing  to  our  house,  and  were  you  to  stay  longer,  you  would 
have  no  charges." 

The  distance  from  Liverpool  to  Bristol,  near  which  Kings- 
wood  is  situated,  is  about  two  hundred  miles.  This  distance, 
Adam  resolved  to  pursue  on  foot,  as  his  finances  were  by  no 
means  very  abundant.  He  was,  however,  persuaded  by  a 
friend  to  relinquish  this  mode  of  travelling,  and  to  procure  an 
outside  seat  on  a  stage-coach  to  Birmingham.  At  the  latter 
place,  he  met  with  a  brother  of  his  friend.  Rev.  Mr.  Brettel, 
who  showed  him  great  kindness,  but  cautioned  him  against 
forming  too  high  an  opinion  of  Kingswood  School,  »s  he 

8 


114  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

might  there  be  doomed  to  suffer  pain  and  discouragement 
After  remaining  here  a  few  days,  he  took  his  departure  for 
Bristol,  having  no  other  refreshment  on  the  road  than  a  pen- 
ny loaf,  and  a  half-penny  worth  of  apples,  during  a  journey 
of  seventeen  hours.  Arriving  at  a  late  hour  in  the  evening, 
he  put  up  at  the  inn,  and  in  the  morning  when  his  bill  was 
paid,  he  had  but  three  half-pence  left  to  pay  his  expenses  at 
Kingswood. 

In  the  morning,  he  went  to  Kingswood,  and  having  found 
Mr.  Simpson,  the  head-master  of  the  school,  he  presented  to 
him  a  letter  from  Mr.  Wesley,  authorizing  his  admission  as 
a  student.  Mr.  S.  informed  him,  that  there  was  no  room  for 
him  in  the  school,  and  that  he  must  go  back  to  Bristol,  and 
wait  for  a  fortnight,  until  Mr.  Wesley  himself  should  come. 
Adam  told  Mr.  S.  that  he  could  not  go  back,  as  his  money 
was  all  gone. 

After  some  farther  conversation,  Mr.  S.  gave  Adam  per- 
mission to  remain,  provided  that  he  would  ^occupy  a  small 
room  at  the  end  of  the  chapel,  and  that  he  would  stay  in  that 
room,  and  not  come  into  the  house.  He  was  also  informed, 
that  his  food  would  be  brought  to  him  daily  by  one  of  the 
servants.  Adam  felt,  indeed,  as  though  this  was  rather  un- 
generous treatment  of  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land.  He, 
however,  found  out  during  the  day,  that  as  he  was  an  Irish- 
man,  he  was  suspected  of  having  the  itch,  and  that  on  this 
account,  Mrs.  S.  could  not  allow  him  to  mingle  with  the 
family.  Adam  resented  the  imputation  by  opening  his  vest 
and  shirt  bosom,  and  showing  Mr.  S.  as  white  a  skin  as  ever 
crossed  the  Tweed — Mr.  S.  was  a  Scotchman — but  all  to  no 
purpose,  the  itch  might  be  cleaving  somewhere  to  his  person, 
and  nothing  would  satisfy  them  until  he  had  rubbed  himself 
from  head  to  foot,  with  a  box  of  "  Jackson's  Itch  Ointment." 

It  is  proper  here  to  remark,  that  Kingswood  School  at  this 
time,  was  under  the  supervision  of  very  improper  persons 


ADAM    CLARKE.  115 

Mr.  Simpson  and  his  wife  were  illiberal,  tyrannical,  and  par- 
simonious ;  and  although  frequent  complaints  had  been  made 
to  Mr.  Wesley,  of  their  treatment  of  the  students,  yet  as  he 
was  in  his  80th  year,  and  was  disposed  to  believe  evil  of  no 
one,  he  had  suflered  them  to  remain  at  the  head  of  the  insti- 
tution. That  the  reader  may  know  how  to  sympathize  with 
the  young  Irish  stranger,  we  will  give  a  few  paragraphs  from 
his  life  in  his  own  words.  "  It  was  only  my  strong  hold  of 
God,  that  kept  me  from  distraction.  But  to  whom  could  I 
make  my  complaint  ?  Earthly  refuge  I  had  none.  It  is  ut- 
terly impossible  for  me  to  describe  the  feelings,  I  may  justly 
say,  the  agony  of  my  mind.  I  surveyed  my  apartment ;  there 
was  a  wretched  old  bureau,  wainscot-bedstead,  not  worth  ten 
shillings,  and  a  bed  and  bed-clothes,  not  worth  much  more ; 
but  the  worst  was,  they  were  very  scanty,  and  the  weather 
was  cold  and  wet.  There  was  one  rush-bottomed  chair  in 
the  place,  and  besides  these,  neither  carpet  on  the  floor,  nor 
at  the  bedstead,  nor  any  other  kind  of  furniture.  There  was 
no  book,  not  even  a  Bible  in  the  place  ;  and  my  own  box,  with 
my  clothes,  and  a  few  books  was  behind  at  the  Lamb  Inn,  in 
Bristol ;  and  I  had  not  even  a  change  of  linen.  Of  this  I  in- 
formed them,  and  begged  them  to  let  the  man  (as  I  found  he 
went  in  with  a  horse  and  small  cart  three  times  a  week)  bring 
out  my  box  to  me.  To  this  request  often  and  earnestly  repeat- 
ed, I  got  no  definite  answer,  but  no  box  was  brought. 

"  Jackson's  Ointment  was  brought,  it  is  true  ;  and  with  this 
unguent,  I  was  obliged  to  anoint  myself,  before  a  large  fire 
(the  first  and  last  I  saw  while  I  remained  there)  which  they 
had  ordered  to  be  lighted  for  the  purpose.  In  this  state  smel- 
ling worse  than  a  pole-cat,  I  tumbled  with  a  heavy  heart,  and 
streaming  eyes  into  my  worthless  bed.  The  next  morning, 
the  sheets  had  taken  from  my  body  as  far  as  they  came  in 
contact  with  it,  the  unabsorbed  parts  of  this  tartareous  com- 
pound :  and  the  smell  of  them  and  myself,  was  almost  insup- 


116  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

portable.  I  begged  the  woman  that  brought  my  bread  and 
milk  for  breakfast,  for  dinner,  and  for  supper — for  generally  I 
had  nothing  else,  and  not  enough  of  that — to  let  me  have  a 
pair  of  clean  sheets.  It  was  in  vain  :  no  clean  clothes  of  any 
kind  were  afforded  me  ;  I  was  left  to  make  my  own  bed, 
sweep  my  own  room,  &c.  &c.  as  I  pleased  I  For  more  than 
three  weeks  no  soul  performed  any  kind  act  for  me.  And  as 
they  did  not  give  orders  to  the  man  to  bring  out  my  box,  I 
was  left  without  a  change  of  any  kind,  till  the  Thursday  of 
the  second  week  ;  when  I  asked  permission  to  go  out  of  my 
prison  house,  to  Bristol  for  my  box,  which  being  granted,  I 
walked  to  Bristol  and  carried  my  box  o?i  tny  head  more  than 
four  miles,  without  any  kind  of  assistance  I  It  was  then  no 
loss  that  my  wardrobe  was  not  extensive.  As  for  books,  I 
brought  none  with  me  but  a  small  18mo.  Bible,  a  12mo. 
edition  of  Young's  Night  Thoughts,  Prideaux'  Connections,  and 
Buck's  8vo.  Greek  Testament. 

As  both  the  days  and  nights  were  very  cold,  the  season  then 
being  unnaturally  so,  I  begged  to  have  a  little  y?re.  This  was 
denied  me,  though  coals  were  very  cheap ;  and  had  it  been 
otherwise,  they  were  not  at  their  expense ;  they  were  paid  for 
out  of  the  'public  collections  made  for  that  school,  to  which 
many  of  my  friends  made  an  annual  offering. 

One  day  having  seen  Mr.  Simpson  walking  in  the  garden, 
I  went  to  him  and  showed  him  my  fingers,  then  bloodless 
through  cold !  He  took  me  to  the  hall,  showed  me  a  cord 
which  hung  from  the  roof,  to  the  end  of  which  was  fixed  a 
cross  stick ;  and  told  me  to  jump  up  and  catch  hold  of  the 
stick,  and  swing  by  my  hands,  and  that  would  help  to  restore 
the  circulation.  I  did  so  :  and  had  been  at  the  exercise  only 
a  few  minutes,  when  Mrs.  S.  came  and  drove  both  him  and 
myself  away,  under  the  pretence  that  we  shotjld  dirty  the 
floor  I  From  this  woman  I  received  no  kindness.  When 
nearly  crippled  with  cold,  and  I  had  stolen  in  the  kitchen  to 


ADAM    CLARKE.  117 

warm  myself  for  a  few  moments,  if  I  heard  her  voice  in  the 
hall,  I  have  run  as  a  man  would  who  is  pursued  in  the  jungles 
of  Bengal,  by  a  royal  tiger. 

"  This  woman  was  equally  saving  of  the  candles,  as  of  the 
coals ;  if  my  candle  was  not  extinguished  by  nine  o'clock,  I 
was  called  to  account  for  it.  My  bed  not  being  comfortable, 
I  did  not  like  to  lie  much  in  it,  and  therefore  kept  out  of  it  as 
late,  and  rose  from  it  as  early  as  possible.  To  prevent  Mrs. 
S.  from  seeing  the  reflection  of  the  light  through  my  window 
(for  my  prison  house  was  opposite  the  school  over  the  way), 
I  was  accustomed  to  set  my  candle  on  the  floor  behind  my 
bureau-bed,  take  oiT  my  coat,  and  hang  it  on  my  chair-back, 
bring  that  close  on  the  other  angle,  and  then  sit  down  on  the 
floor  and  read !" 

We  might  enlarge  these  extracts  for  the  purpose  of  showing 
the  wretched  situation  in  which  Adam  found  himself  when 
he  first  became  an  inmate  of  Kingswood,  but  these  must  suf- 
fice. Should  the  reader  wonder  at  the  tameness  of  his  spirit, 
and  be  led  to  inquire  why  he  submitted  to  such  treatment, 
the  answer  is  very  easy.  He  was  a  youth,  a  stranger,  with- 
out money,  and  without  friends ;  he  lived  in  expectation  of 
soon  seeing  Mr.  Wesley,  when  he  expected  an  improvement 
in  his  situation ;  and  for  these  and  other  reasons,  he  preferred 
suftering  for  awhile,  rather  than  leave  the  institution  and  be 
foiled  in  his  attempts  to  secure  an  education.  Besides,  he  soon 
became  acquainted  with  Mr.  Rankin,  the  Superintendent  of 
the  circuit,  who  became  his  friend,  and  invited  him  to  preach 
in  a  distant  neighborhood,  and  from  this  period  his  condition 
was  somewhat  improved. 

For  the  sake  of  exercise,  Adam  sought  and  obtained  per- 
mission to  work  in  the  garden  connected  with  the  School. 
While  thus  employed,  one  day  he  found  a  half-guinea,  em- 
bedded in  a  clod,  which  he  was  breaking  with  a  spade.  He 
took  the  piece  of  money  to  Mr.  Simpson,  who  stated  it  might 


118  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

be  his,  but  did  not  recollect  having  lost  any,  and  advised  Adam 
to  keep  it  until  an  owner  was  found.  Adam  did  so  with  reluc- 
tance. The  next  day  learning  that  a  Mr.  Bayley  had  lost  a 
half-guinea,  he  gave  it  to  him,  but  in  three  days  after,  Mr. 
Bayley  restored  to  Adam  the  possession  of  the  piece,  saying, 
"  Mr.  Clarke,  it  is  true  that  I  lost  half  a  guinea,  but  I  am  not 
sure  that  tlds  is  the  half-guinea  I  lost  ;  unless  I  was  so,  I 
could  not  conscientiously  keep  it ;  therefore,  you  must  take  it 
again."  Adam  replied,  "  It  is  not  7 nine ;  probably  it  is  yours, 
therefore  I  cannot  take  it."  Mr.  B.  replied,  "I  cannot  keep 
it.  I  have  been  uneasy  in  my  mind  ever  since  it  came  into 
my  possession,"  and  while  saying  this,  he  forced  the  gold  into 
Adam's  hand.  So  the  latter  was  obliged  to  keep  it,  and  as 
no  owner  could  be  found  for  it,  it  formed  quite  an  addition  to 
the  purse,  that  contained  but  three  halfpence. 

After  having  been  at  Kingswood  about  five  weeks,  Mr, 
Wesley  arrived  in  Bristol,  and  Adam  hastened  to  pay  his 
respects  to  him.  The  old  gentleman  received  him  kindly, 
and  asked  him  if  he  wished  to  devote  himself  to  the  work  of 
the  Lord.  His  reply  was,  "  Sir,  I  wish  to  be,  and  do,  what 
God  pleases."  Mr.  Wesley  accordingly  requested  him  to 
hold  himself  in  readiness  to  go  to  Bradford  circuit,  where 
there  was  a  vacancy,  after  which  he  laid  his  hands  upon  his 
head,  and  blessed  him  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

On  the  27th  day  of  September,  1782,  Adam  Clarke  began 
his  labors  as  an  itinerant  Methodist  preacher.  At  one  place 
where  an  appointment  had  been  given  out  for  him,  there  was 
a  large  assemblage  of  young  persons  brought  together  from 
motives  of  curiosity,  to  hear  the  youthful  preacher.  After 
having  preached,  he  gave  out  the  well-known  hymn,  begin- 
ning with  the  words,  "  Vain  delusive  world  adieu,"  &c. 
After  singing,  in  which  the  audience  all  joined,  Mr.  Clarke 
addressed  himself  to  their  consciences,  by  reminding  them  of 
what  they  had  sung,  and  inquiring  whether  they  intended  to 


ADAM    CLARKE.  119 

keep  the  vows  they  had  verbally  made  while  singing  the 
hymn.  Such  was  the  effect  of  this  appeal  to  them,  that  dur- 
ing that  evening  and  next  morning,  thirteen  young  persona 
came  to  him,  desiring  to  know  what  they  must  do  to  be 
saved  ?  A  revival  of  religion  immediately  took  place,  a,nd 
Methodism  was  thenceforth  established  in  that  village. 

A  circumstance  shortly  after  this,  occurred,  which  came 
very  near  putting  an  end  to  Mr.  Clarke's  classical  pursuits. 
At  one  appointment  where  he  was  in  the  habit  of  preaching, 
he  observed  a  Latin  sentence  pencilled  on  the  wall  of  the 
room  where  his  lodgings  were.  Admiring  the  sentence,  he 
subjoined  an  appropriate  Latin  quotation  from  the  ^neid  of 
Virgil.  Shortly  after  this,  one  of  his  colleagues  on  the  circuit 
being  in  the  same  place,  and  also  in  the  same  room,  observed 
the  quotation,  and  without  being  able  to  read  it,  he  judged  it 
was  Latin,  and  that  Mr.  Clarke  had  written  it.  Not  being 
able  to  bear  an  equal,  much  less  a  superior  in  knowledge,  he 
wrote  under  Mr.  Clarke's  quotation,  the  following  words : 

"  Did  you  write  the  above 
to  show  us  you  could  write  Latin "? 
For  shame  !  do  send  pride 
to  hell,  from  wlicnce  it  came. 
0,  young  man,  improve  your 
time,  eternity's  at  hand." 

On  Mr.  Clarke's  return  to  that  place,  he  noticed  the  re- 
proachful effusion,  and  in  a  moment  of  temptation,  he  knelt 
down  and  solemnly  promised  his  Maker  never  more  to  med- 
dle with  Latin  or  Greek !  The  next  time  he  saw  the  ignorant 
and  conceited  author  of  the  reproof,  he  ventured  to  inquire 
why  the  latter  had  not  reproved  him  privately,  instead  of 
publishing  it  in  a  manner  whereby  many  persons  might  see 
and  read  it  I  The  preacher  replied,  that  he  thought  he  pur- 
sued the  best  mode  to  produce  a  cure.     Mr.  Clarke  then  told 


120  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

him  of  the  vow  he  had  made,  and  was  warmly  applauded  for 
so  doing,  by  this  mistaken  man.  For  nearly  four  years  he 
abandoned  the  study  of  Latin  and  Greek,  and  confined  his  at- 
tention principally  to  French  and  Hebrew.  At  length  he 
received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Wesley,  in  which  he  was  charged 
to  cultivate  his  mind  as  far  as  possible,  and  not  to  forget  any- 
thing he  had  ever  learned.  This  timely  advice,  broke  the 
spell  by  which  Mr.  Clarke  had  been  bound,  and  he  concluded 
that  his  vow  was  not  only  rash,  but  wicked,  and  that  it  would 
be  more  acceptable  to  God  to  break  the  same,  however 
solemnly  made,  than  to  persist  in  keeping  it.  He  according- 
ly resumed  his  Greek  and  Latin,  and  neither  himself  nor  the 
Church  have  had  reason  to  repent  his  change  of  purpose  in 
this  respect. 

After  having  travelled  as  a  preacher  for  nearly  a  year,  he 
was  received  into  full  connection  by  Mr.  Wesley,  at  the  Con- 
ference in  Bristol,  in  1783.  A  circumstance  occurred  at  his 
examination,  which  shows  his  strict  regard  for  truth.  One 
of  the  questions  asked  by  Mr.  Wesley — and  indeed  by  all  his 
successors,  whether  presidents  or  bishops — of  every  preacher 
eligible  to  full  connection  in  the  Conference,  was,  "  Are  you 
in  debt?"  The  day  before  Mr.  Clarke's  examination,  he  had 
borrowed  a  half-penny  of  a  brother  preacher,  for  the  purpose 
of  bestowing  it  upon  a  poor  man.  During  the  day,  the 
preacher  had  left  town  before  Mr.  Clarke  had  an  opportunity 
of  paying  him  back  the  half-penny.  Knowing  the  question 
would  be  asked  him  as  usual,  "  Are  you  in  debt  ?"  he  was  at 
a  loss  to  know  what  answer  to  give.  If  he  should  reply 
negatively,  it  would  not  be  strictly  true  ;  if  he  replied  that 
he  was,  and  should  be  asked  the  amount,  he  feared  his  breth- 
ren might  think  him  a  fool.  He,  however,  relieved  himself 
from  the  dilemma  by  replying,  "  Not  one  penny." 

During  the  eleven  months  he  was  on  Bradford  circuit,  he 
preached  five  hundred  and  six  times,  besides  delivering  a 


ADAM    CLARKE.  121 

large  number  of  exhortations,  &c.,  which  shows  to  some  ex- 
tent the  arduous  labors  of  the  early  Methodist  preachers.  At 
the  Bristol  Conference,  Mr.  Clarke  was  appointed  to  Norwich 
circuit,  having  the  venerable  Richard  Whatcoat,  afterwards 
Bishop  Whatcoat,  for  his  colleague.  The  circuit  was  poor, 
and  could  not  afford  Mr.  Clarke  a  horse,  he  consequently  was 
often  obliged  to  walk  to  his  appointments,  and  carry  his  own 
saddle-bags.  The  next  year  he  was  appointed  to  St.  Austell 
circuit,  in  Cornwall,  a  distance  of  about  four  hundred  miles 
from  Norwich.  He  had  but  a  guinea  and  a  half-crown,  to 
bear  his  expenses  to  that  distant  field  of  labor,  but  he  set  out 
trusting  in  the  Lord.  Soon  after  his  arrival  on  his  circuit, 
he  went  to  one  of  his  appointments,  and  as  directed,  called  at 
the  house  of  a  farmer  P.  for  entertainment.  When  he  en- 
tered, he  found  only  the  good  woman  within,  who  gave  him 
for  his  dinner  cold  apple-pie  and  cream,  this  being  the  best 
the  house  afforded.  After  satisfying  himself,  he  went  to  the 
stable  to  clean  his  horse,  and  waited  till  the  farmer  came  in 
from  the  field.  The  following  dialogue  then  took  place  : 
"  Who  art  thouV  "I  am  a  Methodist  preacher;  my  name 
is  Adam  Clarke."  ''  And  what  is  thee  comijig  here  for?'' 
"  To  preach  to  yourself,  your  family,  and  your  neighbors." 
"Whose7it  thee  here?"  "I  received  the  plan  from  Mr. 
W."  (the  superintendent  of  the  circuit,)  "  and  your  place 
stands  for  to-night  and  to-morrow  morning."  "  I  expect  othe/i 
friench  to-morrow,  and  thou  shalt  not  stay  here."  "  Why, 
will  you  not  have  the  preaching?"  "  No,  I tvill  have  none 
of  thy  preaching,  nor  any  of  thy  brethren"  "But  will  it 
not  be  wrong  to  deprive  your  family  and  neighbors  of  what 
may  be  profitable  to  them,  though  you  may  not  desire  it  ?" 
"  Thee  shalt  not  stay  here,  I  ivill  Jiave  no  more  Methodist 
'p-eaching."  "  Well,  I  will  inform  Mr.  W.  of  it,  and  I  dare 
say  he  will  not  send  any  more,  if  you  desire  it  not ;  but  as  I 
am  a  stranger  in  the  country,  and  know  not  my  way,  and  it 


122  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

is  now  toward  evening,  I  hope  you  will  give  me  a  night's 
lodging,  and  I  will,  please  God,  set  off  to-morrow  morning." 
"  I  tell  thee  thou  shall  not  stay  here."  "  What,  would  you 
turn  a  stranger  out  into  a  strange  country,  of  which  he  knows 
nothing,  and  so  late  in  the  evening,  too?"  ''Where  was 
thee  last  7iight  ?"  "I  was  at  Palperr."  "  The7i  go  there. '^ 
"  It  is  out  of  my  reach,  besides  I  have  to  preach  at  Bodmin 
to-morrow  evening."  "  TJien  go  to  Bodmin.'"  "  I  have 
never  yet  been  there  ;  am  not  expected  there  to-night ;  and 
know  no  person  in  the  place  :  pray  give  me  the  shelter  of 
your  roof  for  the  night."  "  I  tell  thee  thou  shalt  not  stay 
fiere."  "Are  you  really  in  earnest.'''  "  I  am."  "Well, 
then,  if  I  must  go,  you  can  direct  me  the  way  to  Buthern- 
bridge;  I  was  there  on  Thursday,  and  am  sure  I  shall  be 
welcome  again."  "  Thee  must  hiquire  the  road  to  Bod- 
min." "  How  far  is  Ruthernbridge  hence  ?"  "  Almost  fifteen 
or  sixteen  miles,  so  thou  hadst  best  be  getting  off."  "  I  will 
set  off  immediately." 

On  being  thus  denied  a  night's  lodging,  Mr.  Clarke  repacked 
his  loose  articles  and  saddled  his  horse,  the  farmer  all  the 
while  looking  on,  but  oflering  to  lend  no  assistance.  Having 
mounted  his  horse  Mr.  Clarke  said,  "  Now  sir,  I  am  a  stranger, 
and  you  have  refused  me  the  common  rites  of  hospitality  ;  I 
am  a  messenger  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  coming  to  you,  your  fam- 
ily and  your  neighbors  with  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  by 
Jesus  Christ,  and  you  have  refused  to  receive  me  :  for  this, 
you  must  account  at  the  bar  of  God.  In  the  meantime,  I 
must  act  as  my  Lord  has  commanded  me.  Remember  !  a 
messenger  of  peace  came  to  your  house  with  the  Gospel,  and 
you  have  rejected  both  him  and  his  message !"  So  saying, 
he  shook  off  the  dust  from  the  soles  of  both  feet  as  a  testimony 
against  the  inhospitable  farmer.  The  result  off  his  conduct 
was  the  withdrawal  of  Methodist  preaching  from  the  neigh- 


ADAM    CLARKE.  123 

borhood,  ruin  came  upon  the  man,  his  family  became  corrupt, 
and  he  himself  soon  died. 

Mr.  Clarke,  while  on  this  circuit,  met  with  a  severe  acci- 
dent by  the  stumbling  of  his  horse  which  nearly  deprived  hira 
of  life,  and  the  effects  of  which  he  felt  for  several  years  after ; 
although,  by  the  goodness  of  God,  he  was  not  prevented  there- 
by from  attending  to  his  work.  At  the  Conference  of  1785, 
held  in  London,  Mr.  Clarke  was  appointed  to  Plymouth  Dock 
circuit,  where  a  secession  of  some  fifty  members  had  taken 
place  from  the  Society.  Such  was  Mr.  Clarke's  influence, 
that  most  of  the  seceders  returned  in  the  course  of  the  year ; 
and  at  the  close  thereof,  the  Society  was  found  to  have  doubled 
its  number.  In  the  meanwhile,  Mr.  Clarke  was  improving 
every  leisure  moment  in  pursuing  his  classical  studies.  He 
also  through  the  kindness  of  friends  who  appreciated  his  thirst 
for  knowledge,  became  the  owner  of  a  few  valuable  classical 
works,  which  greatly  assisted  him  in  his  researches.  At  this 
time,  his  salary  as  a  preacher  was  only  twelve  pounds  (about 
$50)  per  annum,  so  that  he  could  not  from  his  own  resources 
purchase  such  books  as  were  necessary  ;  but  Providence  fur- 
nished the  means  through  the  liberality  of  friends,  and  fre- 
quently in  the  most  unexpected  manner.  In  consequence  of 
Mr.  Clarke's  knowledge  of  the  French  language,  he  was, 
at  the  Conference  of  1786,  appointed  by  Mr.  Wesley  to  the 
Island  of  Jersey,  one  of  the  Norman  Isles,  where  he  was  most 
hospitably  received  and  entertained  in  the  family  of  Henry 
De  Jersey,  Esq.  The  next  year,  Mr.  Wesley  and  Dr.  Coke 
visited  these  islands,  and  on  their  return  were  accompanied  by 
Mr.  Clarke.  He  was,  however,  reappointed  to  the  same  field 
of  labor,  and  remained  there  until  1789,  when  he  was  appoint- 
ed to  Bristol.  In  1788,  Mr.  Clarke  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Mary  Cooke,  of  Trowbridge,  Wiltshire,  a  young  lady 
of  fervent  piety,  a  highly  intellectual  mind,  and  withal,  a 
strict  Methodist.     This  union  was  followed  by  the  best  possi- 


1V4  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

ble  consequences  to  both  parties  ;  and  was  attended  with  no 
loss  of  honor  to  the  lady  or  her  friends,  although  some  of  the 
latter  opposed  the  marriage,  and  in  fact  delayed  it  for  a  year, 
because  they  imagined  that  she  would  be  degraded  by  an  alli- 
ance with  a  poor  Methodist  preacher. 

In  1790,  Mr.  Clarke  was  appointed  to  Dublin.  This  was 
an  important  appointment,  inasmuch  as  the  preacher  in  Dub- 
lin was  considered  Mr.  Wesley's  representative  in  Ireland, 
and  had  charge  of  all  the  circuits  and  stations  in  the  kingdom. 
While  in  Dublin,  he  heard  of  the  death  of  his  father  and 
friend,  Mr.  Wesley.  The  news,  though  not  entirely  unexpect- 
ed, was  so  affecting  to  the  sensitive  mind  of  Mr.  Clarke,  that 
he  could  scarcely  read  the  account  of  his  death.  After  re- 
maining in  Dublin  one  year  he  was  appointed  to  Manchester 
circuit,  and  while  in  the  latter  place  he  formed  the  well- 
known  Stranger's  Friend  Society,  which  as  it  became  known 
was  introduced  into  many  of  the  cities  and  large  toAvns  of 
England. 

Mr.  Clarke  remained  in  Manchester  two  years,  and  in  1793, 
was  appointed  to  Liverpool.  While  in  this  place  and  while 
returning  from  an  evening  appointment  in  the  country,  he 
was  attacked  by  several  Roman  Catholic  ruffians  who  had 
waylaid  him.  He  was  in  company  with  his  brother  and 
another  friend  at  the  time.  As  they  passed  the  place  where 
the  ruffians  lay  concealed,  Mr.  Clarke  was  struck  by  a  large 
stone  on  the  head  which  caused  a  deep  wound.  He  was  im- 
mediately carried  to  a  neighboring  house  and  was  left  in 
charge  of  the  friend,  while  his  brother  ran  back  to  pursue  the 
assailants.  He  found  them  and  charged  them  with  the  act. 
He  had  them  arrested,  and  then  returned  to  attend  to  his 
wounded  brother.  The  inhabitants  of  the  house  on  hearing 
that  Mr.  Clarke  was  a  Methodist  })roacher,  and  that  the  men 
who  had  assailed  him  were  Roman  Catholics,  and  being  Roman 
Catholics  themselves,  declared  that  he  was  well  served,  and 


ADAM   CLARKE.  125 

that  it  was  a  pity  they  had  not  killed  him.  His  friends  see- 
ing how  matters  stood,  had  him  carried  to  his  own  house  in 
Liverpool,  where  he  was  laid  up  for  a  month  in  consequence 
of  his  wound.  The  ruffians  were  at  last  released  from  confine- 
ment through  the  merciful  disposition  of  Mr.  Clarke,  who  re- 
fused to  prosecute  them  for  the  assault.  They  both,  however, 
soon  came  to  an  untimely  and  tragical  end. 

In  1795,  Mr.  Clarke  was  appointed  to  the  London  circuit, 
where  he  continued  three  years  ;  and  while  here  he  com- 
menced taking  notes  for  his  Commentary,  which  may,  in  fact, 
be  considered  as  the  beginning  of  that  literary  career,  which 
afterwards  made  him  so  famous  as  a  scholar  and  as  an  author. 
We  are  not,  however,  to  suppose  that  Mr.  Clarke's  literary  pur- 
suits rendered  him  less  diligent  as  a  pastor.  It  has  been 
computed  that  during  his  three  years'  stay  in  London,  he 
icalked  at  least  seven  thousand  miles  in  attending  upon  his 
pastoral  duties.  After  his  three  years  in  London  had  expired 
he  was  appointed  to  Bristol,  and  while  here  he  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  lose  his  beloved  father  by  death.  Mr.  Clarke  se- 
nior, had  remained  a  few  years  previously  with  the  younger 
members  of  his  family  from  Ireland  to  Manchester,  at  which 
place  he  died,  and  where  his  remains  lie  interred.  As  an  in- 
stance of  filial  affection,  it  is  recorded  that  ever  after  when 
Mr.  Adam  Clarke  was  passing  the  burying  ground  where  his 
father  lay  interred,  whether  riding  or  walking,  he  would  rever- 
ently uncover  his  head,  and  keep  it  uncovered  while  passing  by. 

The  greatest  difficulty  Mr.  Clarke  had  to  contend  with 
while  writing  his  Commentary  and  other  valuable  works,  was 
the  want  of  books.  At  this  period  he  Avas  greatly  in  want  of 
an  Arabic  Dictionary.  There  was  but  one  work  which  he 
could  obtain  to  supply  this  deficiency  in  this  respect,  but  to 
obtain  it  he  must  pay  forty  pounds  sterling  (nearly  $200). 
Not  having  the  money  he  tried  to  borrow  it  of  a  friend,  but 
the  latter  considering  him  almost  insane  to  pay  so  muci 


126  LIVES    OP   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

money  for  a  single  book,  refused  to  lend  him  the  desired  sum. 
He  was,  however,  more  successful  in  another  direction,  and 
the  book  M'as  obtained. 

Mr.  Clarke  now  became  an  author  on  an  extensive  scale 
In  1800,  he  translated  and  published  Sturm's  Reflections,  a 
very  valuable  work.  In  1802,  he  published  a  "  Bibliograph- 
ical Dictionary"  in  six  volumes.  About  the  same  time  he 
published  "A  Succinct  Account  of  Polyglott  Bibles,"  and  also 
"A  Succinct  Account  of  the  Principal  Editions  of  the  Greek 
Testament."  All  these  works  demanded  great  labor  and  re- 
search, and  for  this  no  man  was  better  fitted  by  nature  and 
education  than  Mr.  Clarke.  After  remaining  in  Bristol  three 
years,  Mr.  Clarke  v/as  appointed  again  to  Liverpool,  and  while 
here  he  projected  the  formation  of  the  "  Philological  Society  ;" 
but  his  arduous  labors  were  undermining  his  constitution, 
hence  in  1802,  he  was  obliged  to  repair  to  London  to  seek 
medical  advice.  His  physician  plainly  told  him  that  unless 
he  would  abstain  totally  from  reading,  writing,  preaching,  &c., 
in  less  than  a  year  he  would  be  a  dead  man.  God,  however, 
saw  fit  to  spare  him  to  a  good  old  age.  To  add  to  his  afflic- 
tions while  in  Liverpool,  he  lost  his  brother  by  death  ;  but  God 
was  his  supporter  and  his  strength  amidst  all  his  troubles  and 
afflictions. 

After  leaving  Liverpool,  Mr.  Clarke  went  to  Manchester, 
where  he  met  his  daughter  Agnes,  and  while  here  in  1804, 
he  published  "  Memoirs  of  the  Ancient  Israelites,"  and  in  the 
following  year,  he  issued  a  new  edition  of  the  same  work. 
Oil  leaving  Manchester  he  was  again  stationed  in  London,  and 
in  1806,  was  elected  President  of  the  Conference,  contrary  to 
his  expressed  wishes.  The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society 
also,  elected  him  a  member  of  its  executive  committee,  a  sta- 
tion for  which  he  was  well  qualified  by  his  extensive  knowl- 
edge of  the  ancient  languages.  His  duties  in  this  department 
were  principally  confined  to  the  printing  of  the  Bible  in  the 


ADAM    CLARKE.  127 

Arabic  tongue  ;  and  so  well  were  his  labors  appreciated  in 
this  direction,  that  the  committee  requested  his  acceptance  of 
fifty  pounds,  which  they  sent  to  him  in  the  most  handsome 
manner,  but  which  he  peremptorily  declined  to  accept,  and 
which  he  immediately  returned  with  great  respect.  During 
the  year  of  his  Presidency  of  the  connection,  he  visited  his  first 
circuit,  and  preached  in  the  same  chapel  where  he  preached 
his  first  sermon,  as  an  itinerant,  about  twenty-four  years  pre- 
viously. Old  scenes  were  of  course  presented  afresh  to  his 
memory,  and  he  distinctly  remembered  hearing  a  man  say 
when  he  first  presented  himself,  as  the  youthful  and  diffident 
itinerant,  ''Tut,  tut,  what  ivill  Mr.  Wesley  send  us  next?" 

On  the  31st  of  January,  1807,  Mr.  Clarke  received  in  the 
most  flattering  manner,  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts,  from  the 
University  of  Aberdeen  in  Scotland,  and  in  a  year  from  that 
time,  the  same  College  as  a  further  testimonial  of  esteem,  and 
appreciation  of  his  merits,  bestowed  on  him  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Civil  Law.  The  diplomas  were  sent  to  him,  the 
College  refusing  to  accept  the  customary  fee  given  on  such 
occasions. 

In  1808,  Dr.  Clarke  received  an  invitation  from  the  British 
government,  to  undertake  the  completion  of  a  collection  of 
State  Papers,  embracing  all  the  leagues,  treaties,  alliances, 
capitulations,  and  confederacies,  which  had  been  entered  into 
by  the  British  Crown  and  other  States,  or  princes.  This  vo- 
luminous work  had  been  commenced  in  1693,  and  had  been 
published  from  time  to  time,  down  to  the  year  1717,  since 
which  time,  little  appears  to  have  been  done  toward  its  com- 
pletion. As  this  was  a  work  of  great  importance,  it  became 
necessary  for  the  government,  to  select  one  of  the  ablest  men 
in  the  nation  to  make  the  completion.  The  selection  fell  on 
Dr.  Clarke,  who  was  requested  by  the  secretary  of  the  Com- 
mission, to  accept  the  appointment.  The  Doctor  refused  on 
the  ground  that  his  researches  had  always  been  directed  to 


128  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

other  and  totally  difierent  subjects.  The  Secretary  smiled, 
and  requested  him  to  have  the  goodness  to  try.  Before  com« 
ing  to  a  conclusion  in  reference  to  the  matter,  he  resolved  tc 
ask  the  advice  of  the  London  Wesleyan  preachers  at  their 
meeting  at  City  Road  Chapel.  Some  objected  that  it  vv^ould 
interfere  with  his  ministerial  duties;  others,  that  it  was  a 
trick  of  the  devil  to  prevent  his  usefulness  ;  others,  that  it  was 
a  call  of  Providence  to  greater  usefulness,  and  advising  him 
to  accept  the  appointment  by  all  means.  As  the  most  of  his 
brethren  were  of  the  latter  opinion,  he  reluctantly  concluded 
to  accept  the  appointment.  He  was  immediately  appointed 
Sub-commissioner,  with  authority  to  employ  all  the  assistants 
necessary  to  the  completion  of  the  work,  and  with  liberty  to 
examine  all  the  public  records  necessary  to  the  undertaking. 
This  work  in  which  Doctor  Clarke  engaged  was  completed  by 
him  in  ten  years,  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  government. 

While  thus  rendering  his  valuable  services  to  the  govern- 
ment, he  by  no  means  neglected  his  duties  as  a  Methodist 
preacher.  He  attended  all  his  appointments,  visited  all  the 
classes  and  proceeded  with  the  preparation  of  his  Commen- 
tary, as  time  and  circumstances  would  allow.  In  1810,  the 
first  part  of  the  work  was  published,  and  the  receipt  of  a  copy 
thereof  acknowledged  in  the  most  flattering  terms  by  the  Right 
Honorable  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons. 

In  1811,  Dr.  Clarke  and  son  visited  Ireland.  He  went  to 
the  house  where  his  father  lived,  when  the  Methodists  first 
came  into  the  place,  and  where  Adam  lived  when  he  was 
converted.  The  house  had  now  become  old  and  dilapidated. 
Dr.  Clarke  asked  permission  of  the  woman  to  enter.  She  re- 
plied, "It  is  too  mean  a  place  for  such  a  gentleman  as  you 
to  enter."  "  Good  woman,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  do  not  say 
so  ;  I  have  spent  several  years  in  this  very  house."  The  wo- 
man was  astonished  I  He  entered,  and  before  taking  his  leave 
gave  each  of  the  children  a  piece  of  silver. 


ADAM    CLARKE.  129 

The  first  part  of  his  Commentary,  was  generally  received 
by  a  discerning  public  according  to  its  real  merits.  There 
were,  however,  a  few  who  took  exception  to  the  Doctor's  in- 
terpretations, especially  to  his  rendering  of  the  term  serpent 
in  Gen.  iii.  1,  by  another  word,  which  he  thought  more  sig- 
nificant— a  monkey.  The  objections  of  these  critics,  called 
forth  from  the  Rev.  Richard  Reece, — who  was  a  great  admi- 
rer of  Dr.  Clarke, — the  following  ingenious  lines  : 

"The  Rev.  Doctor  Adam  Clarke  asserts. 

It  could  not  be  a  serpent  tempted  Eve, 
But  a  gay  monkey,  whose  fine  mimic  arts 
And  fopperies,  were  most  likely  to  deceive. 

Dogmatic  commentators  still  hold  out, 
A  serpent,  not  a  monJcey,  tempted  madam ; 

And  which  shall  we  believe  1    Without  a  doubt 
None  knows  so  well  who  tempted  Eve  as  Adam." 

In  1813,  Dr.  Clarke  was  elected  Fellow  of  the  Society  of 
Antiquarians,  an  honor  which  was  richly  deserved,  and  great- 
ly appreciated  by  the  Doctor  himself  In  1815,  the  state  of 
his  health  rendered  it  necessary  for  him  to  leave  London, 
and  retire  into  the  country  in  the  neighborhood  of  Liverpool, 
where  he  had  purchased  an  estate,  and  which  he  called  Mill- 
brook.  At  this  place  he  built  a  Methodist  chapel  at  his  own 
expense,  and  as  the  winter  of  1816  was  very  severe,  hundreds 
of  sailors  in  Liverpool  were  without  means  of  support.  Dr. 
Clarke  immediately  on  hearing  of  the  distress  of  this  neglected 
class  of  men,  prepared  some  untenanted  cottages  on  his  estate, 
for  the  reception  of  twenty  of  them,  and  provided  them  with 
regular  meals  in  his  kitchen  every  day  during  the  winter. 
He  gave  them  also  some  slight  employment  to  keep  them  from 
idleness. 

In  the  summer  of  1816,  the  Doctor  made  another  visit  to 
Ireland,  as  also  to  Scotland,  and  on  his  return  was  warmly 


130  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

greeted  by  his  family  and  dependants.  In  1817,  ho  was 
elected  member  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society.  In 
1818,  he  took  under  his  charge  and  tuition  two  young  hea- 
then priests,  who  had  just  been  brought  over  from  the  island 
of  Ceylon,  for  the  purpose  of  being  instructed  in  the  theology 
and  science  of  Christendom.  Many  anecdotes  are  related  of 
these  vouths,  while  under  Dr.  Clarke's  care.  One  or  two  we 
will  give  :  They  had  been  instructed  in  the  Doctor's  family, 
that  in  winter  the  ground  would  be  covered  with  snow,  and 
that  water  would  be  frozen,  so  that  it  would  bear  a  person  to 
walk  on  its  surface.  They  were,  however,  incredulous  about 
these  matters,  until  one  morning  in  the  beginning  of  winter, 
they  arose  from  their  beds,  and  to  their  vitter  astonishment, 
the  world  was  white  before  and  around  them  I  Surprised 
and  fearful,  they  ran  for  the  Doctor,  v/ho  soon  allayed  their 
fears  by  going  out  with  them  into  the  garden,  and  taking 
some  of  the  snow  in  his  hands,  taught  them  its  nature  and 
properties.  Soon  after,  the  fish-pond  was  frozen  over,  and 
this  also  was  a  matter  of  astonishment.  They  could  not  be 
prevailed  to  venture  upon  it,  until  the  Doctor  and  the  ladies 
of  the  family  had  set  the  example.  These  priests  remained 
for  two  years  in  the  family  of  Dr.  Clarke,  and  during  that 
period  had  been  soundly  converted  to  the  Christian  faith,  and 
received  at  the  hands  of  the  Doctor,  in  Richmond  Chapel, 
Liverpool,  the  rite  of  Christian  baptism,  in  the  presence  of  a 
large  congregation.  As  these  youths  had  been  committed  to 
his  care  by  Sir  A.  Johnstone,  Chief  Justice  of  the  island  of 
Ceylon,  it  became  necessary  on  the  appointment  of  his  suc- 
cessor. Sir  Richard  Ottley,  to  the  same  distinguished  office,  to 
allow  these  Cingalese  converts  to  return  to  their  own  land, 
which  they  did  after  shedding  many  tears  of  sorrow,  at  being 
obliged  to  leave  the  kind-hearted  Doctor  and  his  family. 

In   July,   1821,   Dr.    Clarke  was  elected   member  of  the 
Royal  Irish  Academy,  an  institution  on  whose  list  of  members 


ADAM    CLARKE.  131 

were  enrolled  some  of  the  most  honorable  and  distinguished 
names  in  the  land.  In  July  of  1S22,  he  was  for  the  third 
time  elected  President  of  the  Wesleyan  Conference,  a  mark 
of  honor  which  he  esteemed  more  highly  than  all  the  literary 
degrees  which  had  been  conferred  upon  him.  In  1823,  he 
was  elected  Member  of  the  Geological  Society  of  London,  and 
during  the  same  year,  became  an  original  member  of  the 
Royal  Asiatic  Society.  To  pass  over  a  portion  of  Dr.  Clarke's 
history,  we  find  him  in  1825,  the  honored  guest  of  his  Royal 
Highness  the  Duke  of  Sussex.  This  nobleman  was  ever  the 
patron  of  sound  learning,  and  a  great  admirer  of  Dr.  Clarke. 
On  the  occasion  just  referred  to,  he  had  been  invited  by  the 
Duke  to  meet  another  distinguished  nobleman,  the  Duke  of 
Hamilton,  at  the  palace  of  the  former,  for  the  purpose  of  a 
mutual  introduction ;  and  without  entering  into  details  in 
reference  to  the  honor  shown  him  at  this  visit,  we  cannot 
avoid  contrasting  his  present  position  in  society,  flattered  and 
honored  by  royalty  itself,  with  the  condition  in  which  he 
found  himself  when  he  first  arrived  in  England,  and  especially 
on  his  arrival  at  Kingswood  School,  where  he  had  literally  to 
beg  for  a  place  to  stay,  and  for  a  bed  whereon  to  rest  his 
wearied  limbs. 

Previous  to  this,  he  had  sold  his  estate  at  Millbrook,  and 
had  purchased  another  in  the  vicinity  of  London,  which  he 
called  Haydon  Hall  ;  and  at  this  latter  place  in  1826,  he 
finished  his  Commentary  on  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  a 
work  on  which  he  had  been  engaged  iox  forty  years,  of  his 
precious  life.  The  last  sentence  of  that  work  was  written 
upon  his  knees,  and  when  completed  he  returned  fervent 
thanks  to  God,  that  his  life  had  been  spared  to  see  the  com- 
pletion of  a  work  which  had  cost  him  so  many  wearisome 
hours  of  labor  and  research,  without  aid  from  any  person,  not 
even  an  amanuensis.  On  the  completion  of  his  Commentary, 
he  was  invited  by  his  children  to  a  family  diimer,  at  the 


132  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

nouse  of  one  of  his  sons.  After  dinnei-,  a  splendid  silver  vase 
vi^as  brought  in,  and  placed  at  the  head  of  the  table.  This 
vase  had  been  prepared  by  his  children,  as  a  solemn  offering 
upon  the  occasion,  without  the  Doctor's  knoM'ledge.  The 
Doctor's  eldest  son  arose,  and  uncovering  the  vase,  and  with 
an  appropriate  and  affectionate  address,  he  in  the  name  of 
each  child  in  the  family,  offered  it  to  their  revered  parent. 
The  good  Doctor  was  taken  by  surprise  ;  for  a  few  moments 
he  sat  incapable  of  utterance ;  then  regarding  them  all,  he 
rose,  and  spreading  out  his  hands,  pronounced  a  father's  bless*- 
ing  upon  them,  individually  and  collectively.  Such  a  scene 
would  be  worthy  the  attention  of  the  artist. 

In  June,  1826,  the  Doctor,  accompanied  by  one  of  his  sons, 
started  on  a  visit  to  the  Shetland  Isles,  for  the  purpose  of 
promoting  the  good  of  the  Wesleyan  Missions  in  that  much 
neglected  portion  of  the  British  Isles.  On  the  voyage,  they 
experienced  a  tremendous  storm  ;  to  add  to  their  danger,  they 
were  pursued  by  a  royal  revenue  cutter,  who  supposed  them 
to  be  engaged  in  the  smuggling  trade.  The  cutter  made  a 
signal,  which  the  other  vessel,  on  account  of  the  derangement 
of  its  rigging,  was  unable  to  answer.  Finding  the  signal  un- 
answered, the  cutter  fired  a  blank  cartridge ;  still  the  flag 
was  entangled  in  the  shrouds.  The  cutter  was  on  the  point 
of  firing  into  her,  when  discovering  the  cause  of  her  failure  to 
reply  to  the  signal,  and  also  that  she  was  engaged  in  the 
Shetland  Island  service,  suffered  her  to  proceed.  After  reach- 
ing the  port  of  his  destination,  and  spending  a  short  time 
with  the  simple,  yet  hospitable  inhabitants  of  those  Islands, 
he  returned  again  to  England,  by  way  of  Scotland.  Having 
acquired  by  his  visit  to  Shetland  a  much  better  knowledge  of 
the  wants  of  the  people,  he  exerted  himself  to  awaken  an  in- 
terest in  the  bosoms  of  Christians  at  home,  for  the  spiritual 
welfare  of  those  distant  sheep ;  and  during  the  next  summer, 
accompanied  by  several  ministers,  and  other  gentlemen,  he 


ADAM    CLARKE.  133 

made  a  second  visit  to  the  islands.  During  this  second  visit, 
he  laid  the  corner-stone  of  a  new  Wesleyan  chapel,  and  after 
remaining  nearly  a  month,  returned  with  his  company  to 
England. 

In  1830,  Dr.  Clarke  was  elected  a  Fellow  of  the  Eclec- 
tic Society  of  London,  an  honor  conferred  only  on  the  most 
eminent  of  scientific  men.  In  April  of  this  year,  he  visited 
Ireland  again,  and  towards  the  close  of  this  year  we  find 
him  exerting  himself  to  establish  schools  among  the  peasantry 
of  his  native  island,  which  he  subsequently  succeeded  in 
doing,  and  which  he  fostered  with  a  parent's  care. 

During  the  year  1831,  and  until  the  close  of  his  life.  Dr. 
Clarke  sustained  a  supernumerary  relation  to  the  Conference. 
This  relation  was  not  sought  by  him  ;  indeed,  it  was  given 
him  in  opposition  to  his  own  feelings  and  judgment  in  the 
matter,  a  circumstance  which  somewhat  afflicted  him.  It 
however  gave  him  a  little  more  liberty  to  travel  where  he 
chose.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  year,  he  received  an  affec- 
tionate letter  from  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Missionary 
Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United 
States,  inviting  him  to  visit  America.  To  this  invitation  he 
was  obliged,  through  the  multiplicity  of  engagements,  to  re- 
turn a  negative  answer,  but  assuring  the  worthy  brethren 
who  extended  the  invitation,  that  he  loved  the  Church  they 
represented,  and  respected  and  wished  well  to  the  State  of 
which  they  were  citizens,  and  asserting  his  belief  that  their 
"nation  is  destined  to  be  the  mightiest  and  happiest  nation  of 
the  globe,"  and  their  "  Church  the  most  extensive  and  pure 
in  the  universe." 

In  the  spring  of  1832,  Dr.  Clarke  again  visited  Ireland,  for 
the  purpose  of  seeing  to  his  Irish  schools,  but  while  here  he 
became  seriously  indisposed,  so  much  so,  as  to  unfit  him  for 
active  employment.  After  a  partial  recovery  from  his  attack 
of  rheumatism,  he  proceeded  to  visit  several  places,  but  learn- 


134  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

ing  that  his  son,  who  had  started  from  home  to  attend  to  the 
Doctor  during  his  ilhiess  and  accompany  him  home,  had  met 
with  a  serious  accident  on  the  way,  by  the  upsetting  of  the 
stage-coach,  he  hastened  to  Belfast,  where  he  took  passage  in 
a  steamer  for  Liverpool ;  but  such  was  his  weakness  that  he 
did  not  reach  his  home,  until  the  2d  of  July.  At  this  time, 
the  cholera  was  raging  in  Liverpool,  and  the  session  of  the 
Conference  was  to  be  held  in  that  town  during  this  year.  Dr. 
Clarke,  notwithstanding  his  bodily  infirmities,  had  a  great  de- 
sire to  attend  the  Conference.  Strong  objections  were  inter- 
posed by  his  family  to  his  going  to  Liverpool.  Believing,  how- 
ever, that  duty  required  his  presence,  he  went  there,  and 
found  that  many  of  his  dear  friends  were  falling  victims  to 
the  pestilence.  He  preached  the  annual  sermon  at  the  re- 
quest of  the  Conference,  and  received  as' a  supernumerary,  an 
appointment  to  Windsor  v/ith  a  note  appended  to  his  name, 
that  he  was  not  bound  to  that  circuit,  but  was  respectfully 
requested  to  visit  all  parts  of  the  Connection,  and  labor  as 
strength  and  convenience  would  permit. 

On  the  25th  of  August,  having  promised  to  preach  at  a  place 
called  Baysv/ater,  a  few  miles  from  Haydon  Hall,  on  the 
next  day.  Sabbath,  he  rode  out  in  a  chaise  with  his  friend 
Mr.  Hobbs,  who  called  for  him.  On  his  way  to  Bays  water, 
he  was  quite  cheerful,  but  on  his  arrival,  he  appeared  quite 
languid  and  wearied.  During  the  night,  his  indisposition  in- 
creased so  that  he  passed  a  painful  night.  On  Sunday  morn- 
ing he  arose  early,  and  at  six  o'clock  sent  for  Mr.  Hobbs,  who 
found  him  with  his  great-coat  on,  and  his  travelling  bag  in 
his  hand.  Dr.  Clarke  informed  Mr.  Hobbs,  that  he  wanted 
to  go  home  immediately,  as  he  could  not  possibly  preach  that 
day.  Mr.  Hobbs  went  to  procure  an  easy  carriage,  but  while 
absent  the  Doctor  became  quite  cold  and  distressed,  so  that 
his  removal  was  out  of  the  question.  Physicians  were  called 
in,  who  pronounced  it  a  case  of  cholera.     Mrs.  Clarke  was 


ADAM    CLARKE.  135 

sent  for,  and  all  that  love  and  affection  could  do  to  "  retain 
the  spirit,"  was  done,  but  all  in  vain  ;  a  little  before  midnight 
he  closed  his  eyes  in  death.  And  thus  ended  the  mortal  ca- 
reer of  Adam  Clarke,  on  the  26th  of  August,  1832,  in  the 
seventieth  year  of  his  age,  and  fiftieth  of  his  ministry  as  a 
Wesleyan  preacher.  His  remains  were  interred  in  the  bury- 
ing-ground  of  City  Road  Chapel,  near  those  of  the  Rev.  John 
Wesley. 

Thus  fell  a  man,  who  from  the  most  obscure  and  humble 
station  in  life,  pressed  his  way  onward  and  upward  to  a  posi- 
tion in  society,  where  he  could  literally  claim  to  be  the  com- 
panion of  princes  and  nobles  ;  of  the  wise,  the  gi-eat  and  the 
good  among  rnen.  His  best  eulogy  may  be  found  in  the  words 
of  his  eldest  son,  the  Rev.  J.  B.  B.  Clarke  :  "  My  God,  1 
bless  thee,  that  I  had  such  a  father." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

REV.    RICHARD    WATSON. 

The  eminent  man  whose  name  stands  at  the  head  of  this 
chapter,  was  born  in  Barton,  Lincobishire,  England,  on  the 
22d  of  February,  1781.  He  was  the  seventh  son  of  a  family 
of  eighteen  children,  all  of  whom  died  in  early  life  excepting 
Richard,  and  three  sisters.  While  an  infant  his  health  was 
very  feeble,  but  at  a  proper  age  he  was  sent  to  school,  and  his 
aptness  to  learn  caused  his  instructress  to  exclaim  frequently, 
"  Bless  thee  !  thou  wilt  be  a  great  man !" 

At  the  age  of  six  yfears,  he  was  sent  to  a  school,  kept  by  an 
Episcopal  clergyman,  wliere  through  the  advice  of  his  teacher, 
he  commenced  the  study  of  Latin.  This  study  he  pursued 
with  great  success  for  one  so  young,  as  he  did  other  branches 
of  science  and  literature.  As  an  evidence  of  his  proficiency, 
it  is  said  that  before  he  was  six  years  of  age,  he  had  read  with 
intense  interest,  sixteen,  or  eighteen  volumes  of  the  "Univer- 
sal History,"  which  his  father  had  purchased  for  him. 

Richard  was  blessed  with  an  extraordinary  memory,  so 
much  so,  that  he  could  get  any  lesson  in  his  Latin  Grammar 
without  any  difficulty.  Being  confined  at  home  with  sick- 
ness, he  would  recite  his  Latin  lessons  to  his  eldest  sister,  so 
that  she  became  nearly  as  well  acquainted  with  the  language 
as  himself  And  on  one  occasion  while  both  were  confined 
by  sickness,  they  committed  nearly  the  whole  of  "  Fenelon's 
Telemachus"  to  memory. 


REV.  RICHARD  WATSON. 


RICHARD    WATSON.  137 

Richard's  father  was  a  saddler  by  profession,  and  at  this 
period,  was  a  Calvinistic  dissenter.  He  was  a  pious,  up- 
right man,  one  who  feared  God,  and  whose  practical  motto 
was  :  "  As  for  me,  and  my  house,  we  will  serve  the  Lord ;" 
hence  his  family  were  brought  up  "  in  the  nurture  and  ad- 
monition of  the  Lord,''  and  as  the  result  of  such  parental 
training,  his  children  "  remembered  their  Creator  in  the  days 
of  their  youth."  Little  Richard,  at  a  very  early  age,  mani- 
fested signs  of  love  to  God,  and  was  often  found  in  prayer,  and 
often  delighted  to  sing  hymns  of  praise  to  God. 

When  Richard  was  eight  years  of  age,  Mr.  Watson,  sen., 
and  his  family  removed  from  Barton,  to  Lincoln.  At  this 
place,  Richard  attended  a  private  seminary  for  about  two 
years,  when  he  was  removed  to  the  grammar-school  at  the 
same  place.  Here  he  read  Caesar,  Virgil,  Horace,  and  other 
classical  works.  He  also  eagerly  perused  large  volumes  of 
classical  history,  as  also  those  containing  the  history  of  Eng- 
land. So  passionately  fond  was  he  of  the  latter  kind  of  read- 
ing, that  he  desired  permission  to  sit  up  all  night  to  peruse 
his  favorite  works,  and  when  his  request  was  denied,  he  some- 
times resorted  to  stratagem  to  effect  his  purpose,  which 
piactice  in  more  mature  years,  he  did  not  feel  disposed  to 
justify. 

Mr.  Watson,  sen.,  had  not  the  means  to  give  his  son  a 
University  education,  so  as  to  fit  him  for  one  of  the  learned 
professions,  consequently  Richard,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  was 
apprenticed  to  a  respectable  carpenter  and  joiner,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  learning  that  branch  of  business.  It  was  agreed,  how- 
ever, that  he  should,  in  consequence  of  feeble  health,  continue 
to  board  and  lodge  in  his  father's  house.  His  appearance  at 
this  time  was  quite  singular  :  his  height  was  six  feet  two 
inches  ;  his  hair  was  jet  black,  and  long  and  lank,  while  his 
countenance  was  that  of  a  mere  boy.  His  morals  at  this  time 
also,  appear  to  have  become  more  lax,  so  that  he  engaged  in 


138  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

all  kinds  of  mischief  with  the  greatest  delight.  One  of  the 
worst  species  of  mischief  in  which  he  seemed  to  take  delight 
was  misbehavior  in  the  house  of  God,  and  in  ridiculing,  and 
insulting  the  people  of  God,  especially  those  who  were  stig- 
matized with  the  name  Methodist.  So  far  did  this  love  of 
frolic  lead  him,  that  in  defiance  of  his  parents'  example  and 
authority,  he  has  frequently  been  known  to  pelt  with  stones, 
and  other  missiles,  the  people  with  whom  his  father  worship- 
ped, while  on  their  way  to  the  house  of  God.  Connected  with 
this  course  of  conduct,  there  was  of  course  a  habitual  disregard 
of  the  ordinances  of  religion,  and  the  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath ;  with  a  love  of  evil  company,  and  wicked  associates. 
Such  a  course  of  conduct  was  painful  in  the  extreme,  to  his 
pious  father,  who  had  by  this  time  become  a  Methodist  him- 
self, and  almost  led  him  to  doubt  the  truth  of  the  declaration 
in  reference  to  those  who  are  trained  up  in  the  way  they 
should  go,  that  "  when  they  are  old  they  will  not  depart 
from  it,"  But  God,  who  "moves  in  a  mysterious  way,  his 
wonders  to  perform,"  had  thoughts  of  mercy  toward  Richard, 
wicked  as  he  had  become,  and  in  a  very  unexpected  manner, 
brought  his  "conscience  to  a  stand." 

There  lived  in  Lincoln  a  gentleman  whose  wile  was  a  zeal- 
ous Calvinist,  and  whose  house  Richard  frequently  visited. 
As  Mr.  Watson's  family  had  forsaken  the  Calvinists,  the  good 
woman  of  the  house  was  extremely  anxious  to  convince  Rich- 
ard of  the  wrong  his  parents  had  committed  in  joining  the 
Methodists.  This  led  to  disputation,  and  as  she  advanced  ar- 
guments which  Richard  could  not  on  account  of  his  ignorance 
in  these  matters  readily  answer,  he  resolved  to  attend  the 
Methodist  chapel  a  few  times  for  the  purpose  of  learning  some 
arguments  wherewith  to  confute  and  silence  his  opponent. 
He  accordingly  attended,  and  during  the  first  sermon  he  was 
deeply  convicted  of  sin,  and  learned  that  there  were  matters 
of  even  greater  importance  to  be  attended  to,  than  those  which 


RICHARD   WATSON-.  139 

had  brought  him  to  the  house  of  God.     His  great  concern  now 
was,  how  he  should  escape  "  the  wrath  to  come  ;"  and  in  this 
state  of  mind  he  went  to  another  place  of  worship,  where  his 
convictions  of  sin  were  deepened.     So  heavy  was  the  load 
which  now  weighed  him  down  to  the  earth,  that  he  could 
not  conceal  his  state  of  mind  from  his  pious  friends  ;  indeed, 
he  had  no  desire  to  conceal  his  feelings.     Such  was  the  in- 
tolerable anguish  of  his  broken  spirit,  that  he  gladly  availed 
himself  of  the  prayers  of  those  whom  he  had  before  persecuted 
and  insulted.     And  such  prayers  were  as  gladly  oflered  up  in 
his  behalf.     Indeed,  there  is,  perhaps,  no  description  of  per- 
sons for  whom  pious  Christians  can  more  devoutly  and  sin- 
cerely pray,  than  for  those  who  "  despitefully  use  and  entreat" 
them.     And  such  was  now  the  case.     Fervent  prayer  was 
offered  with,  and  for  him  ;  and  in  answer  thereto,  peace  and 
pardon,  through  Jesus'  blood,  was  imparted  to   the  broken- 
hearted penitent.     To  the  end  of  his  life,  Mr.  Watson  ever 
retained  a  vivid  recollection  of  his  feelings  and  the  occurrences 
of  that   momentous   occasion.     His  transition  from    "  dark- 
ness to  light"  was  so  clear  and  convincing  to  his  own  mind, 
that  he  never  after  could  doubt  the  fact  of  his  conversion  to  God. 
The  fruits  of  his  conversion  immediately  followed.     He  for- 
sook his  ungodly  associates  ;  his  passion  for  folly  and  mischief 
was  entirely  subdued  ;  his  love  for  the  people  of  God  was  es- 
tablished ;  he  became  at  once  a  faithful  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist society ;  he  submitted  to  all  the  contumely  and  insult 
bestowed  upon  the  people  of  his  choice  ;  and  his  attention  to 
business  became  serious  and  constant.     In  every  respect  Rich- 
ard had  become  a  "  new  creature"  in  Christ  Jesus,  "  old  things 
having  passed  away"  with  him.     His  conversion,  as  might 
have  been  expected,  excited  the  ire  of  his  former  associates, 
who  became  still  more  outrageous  in  their  conduct  towards 
the  Methodists,  and  who  made  Richard  the  butt  of  their  ridi- 
cule ;  but  all  these  things  he  endured  with  patience  and  res- 


140  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

ignation.  He  now  became  a  constant  attendant  of  the  class 
and  prayer-meetings.  So  eager  was  he  sometimes  to  reach 
the  place  of  worship  in  proper  season  after  his  work  was  done, 
that  on  two  several  occasions  he  stumbled  and  fell,  and  broke 
his  arm. 

On  the  10th  of  February,  1796,  Richard  for  the  first  time 
publicly  began  to  call  sinners  to  repentance  on  the  occasion  of 
the  death  of  his  grandmother,  whose  sudden  departure  from 
time  constrained  Richard  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day  to 
arise  in  the  congregation,  and  exhort  his  fellow-creatures  to 
be  "  prepared  to  meet  their  God."  At  this  time  Richard  was 
only  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  on  the  23d  of  the  same  month, 
when  he  was  fifteen  years  and  two  days  old,  he  preached  his 
first  sermon  in  a  private  dwelling  near  Lincoln.  Such  was 
the  precocity  of  his  mind,  that  at  this  early  age  he  was  in 
more  senses  than  one  prepared  to  become  a  "  teacher  in  Is- 
rael." From  this  period  till  called  into  the  travelling  minis- 
try, he  labored  zealously  and  successfully  as  a  local  preacher. 
At  that  time  on  Lincoln  circuit,  there  was  but  one  chapel  be- 
longing to  the  Methodists,  while  there  were  quite  a  number 
of  villages  within  its  bounds.  The  travelling  preachers  with 
six  other  local  preachers,  contrived  to  supply  the  most  of  these 
villages  with  preaching ;  although  for  want  of  a  house  to 
preach  in,  the  services  were  often  held  in  the  open  air.  These 
out-door  services  frequently  exposed  the  preachers  to  the  ill- 
treatment  of  the  rude  and  profane  ;  and  Richard,  notwith- 
standing his  youth,  came  in  for  a  full  share  of  the  abuse  usu- 
ally given  on  such  occasions.  On  his  return  home,  his  clothes 
often  gave  evidence  of  the  rough  treatment  he  received  at  the 
hands  of  his  persecutors.  On  one  occasion,  he  was  preaching 
in  a  village  where  his  uncle,  a  respectable  farmer,  resided ; 
and  while  there,  was  attacked  with  rotten  eggs  and  other 
missiles.  His  uncle  instead  of  protecting  him,  exclaimed, 
"  Pelt  him  well,  lads  ;  my  nephew  can  stand  fire'' 


RICHARD    WATSON.  141 

The  labors  of  young  Watson  could  but  excite  great  atten- 
tion wherever  his  name  was  known,  so  that  numerous  invita- 
tions were  sent  to  him  from  a  distance  to  come  and  preach. 
On  one  occasion,  he  complied  with  a  request  to  preach  in  the 
Methodist  chapel  in  Newark,  where  he  was  personally  unac- 
quainted. As  the  youthl'u]  preacher  ascended  the  pulpit,  his 
appearance  excited  irrepressible  apprehensions  of  a  failure  on 
the  part  of  the  congregation.  These  apprehensions  were  in- 
sreased  when  he  announced  as  his  text,  '"  God  is  a  Spirit, 
&rc,.,  but  when  he  proceeded  in  his  discourse,  and  unfolded  to 
their  minds  with  a  correctness  of  language,  and  a  fervor 
scarcely  imaginable  some  of  the  more  important  doctrines  of 
Christian  theology,  their  fears  subsided,  and  their  apprehen- 
sions gave  place  to  wonder  and  admiration. 

As  his  time  and  attention  were  now  greatly  occupied  with 
his  favorite  work  of  preaching,  his  master,  who  was  desirous 
of  promoting  his  usefulness,  generously  oflered  to  release  him 
from  his  indentures.  Being  but  sixteen  years  of  age  he  had 
still  five  years  of  apprenticeship  to  serve,  and  believing  that 
God  had  called  him  to  the  work  of  the  ministrjs  he  thank- 
fully received  his  release.  At  this  juncture  the  health  of  one 
of  the  preachers  on  Newark  circuit  failed,  and  those  who  had 
been  so  agreeably  disappointed  at  Richard's  preaching  as  above 
stated,  sent  for  him  to  supply  the  vacancy  for  the  time  being. 
He  accepted  the  invitation  and  went  to  Newark,  but  here  his 
feelings  overcame  him  in  view  of  the  responsibilities  of  his 
callinjT  and  his  own  youth  and  want  of  experience,  and  he 
wept  like  a  child.  He  was,  however,  greatly  encouraged  by 
Mr.  Cooper,  the  preacher  whose  place  he  was  expected  to  fill, 
and  he  commenced  his  labors  as  an  itinerant  with  redoubled 
zeal  and  success. 

On  a  distant  part  of  Newark  circuit  where  his  fame  had 
not  preceded  him,  the  family  with  whom  he  put  up  for  enter- 
tainment could  not  repress  their  feelings  of  disappointment  at 


142  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

the  non-appearance  of  Mr.  Cooper,  who  was  indeed  highly  and 
deservedly  popular,  and  at  the  youthfulness  and  inexperience 
of  his  substitute.  Their  unkind  and  imprudent  expressions  of 
regret  were  listened  to  in  sorrowful  silence  by  the  young  itin- 
erant. He,  however,  raised  his  heart  to  God,  and  when  ser- 
vice commenced  he  arose  and  gave  out  the  beautiful  hymn 
of  Charles  Wesley,  beginning, 

"  How  happy  is  the  pilgrim's  lot,"  &c. 

He  read  it  with  such  seriousness  and  emphasis,  that  he  imme- 
diately won  the  hearts  of  his  hearers ;  and  as  he  proceeded 
with  the  rest  of  the  service,  they  became  so  delighted  with 
him  that  his  host  begged  pardon  for  his  unkind  remarks,  and 
earnestly  desired  him  to  visit  them  again,  even  if  it  must  be 
in  Mr.  Cooper's  place. 

About  this  time,  it  became  necessary  for  Richard  to  obtain 
a  certificate  of  his  profession  as  a  preacher,  under  the  "  Tolera- 
tion Act"  of  Parhament.  The  magistrates,  however,  objected 
to  giving  him  a  certificate,  on  account  of  his  boyish  appear- 
ance, but  being  reminded  by  one  of  their  brethren  on  the 
bench,  that  the  act  specified  no  particular  age,  they  were 
forced  rather  reluctantly  to  administer  the  oath,  and  give  him 
a  license. 

Mr.  Watson,  as  we  shall  now  call  him,  though  not  yet  six- 
teen years  of  age,  remained  on  Newark  circuit  until  the  next 
session  of  the  Wesleyan  Conference,  in  1796.  At  this  Con- 
ference, Mr.  Cooper  strongly  urged  the  reception  of  Mr.  Wat- 
son as  a  preacher  on  trial,  but  his  entreaties  were  urged  in 
vain;  the  Conference  thought  Mr.  Watson  altogether  too 
young  for  such  an  important  work.  Mr.  Cooper,  however, 
on  going  to  his  new  circuit,  called  Ashby-de-la-Zouch,  found 
that  he  could  profitably  employ  Mr.  Watson.  He  therefore 
ventured  to  send  for  him,  notwithstanding  the  decision  of  the 
Conference.     Mr.  Watson  at  once  complied  with  his  request, 


RICHARD    WATSON.  143 

and  labored  efficiently  and  profitably  during  the  year,  so  that 
at  the  next  Conference,  not  only  was  Mr.  Cooper  not  censured 
for  employing  him,  but  the  year  thus  spent  was  reckoned  as 
one  year  of  probation.  Although  his  colleag-ues,  Messrs. 
Cooper  and  Birdsall,  were  men  of  superior  talents,  yet  Mr. 
Watson  commanded  as  large  congregations  as  they  did,  and 
labored  with  equal  acceptability. 

At  the  Conference  of  1797,  he  was  appointed  to  Castle 
Donington  circuit.     Here  he  came  in  contact  with  the  doc- 
trine of  the  restoration  of  all  men  to  final  holiness  and  happi- 
ness, as  taught  by  Mr.  Winchester.     Against  this  doctrine, 
young  as  he  was,  he  felt  it  his  duty  to  raise  a  warning  voice. 
During  his  stay  on  this  circuit,  he  had  occasion  to  preach  in 
Leicester,  having  exchanged  pulpits  with  a  preacher  for  one 
Sabbath,  and  such  was  the  gratification  of  the  people  of  that 
place  at  his  two  sermons,  preached  from  one  text,  that  at  the 
next  Conference  they  sent  a  request  to  have  him  appointed  to 
Leicester  circuit  the  ensuing  year.     He  was  accordingly  ap- 
pointed to  that  place,  under  the  superintendency  of  Rev.  J. 
Edmondson,  who  being  a   man  of  extensive  literary  attain- 
ments, proved  himself  a  valuable  friend  and  instructor  to  his 
youthful  colleague.     In  1799,  Mr.  Watson  was  appointed  to 
Derby,  a  station  of  some  importance.     On  the  first  Sunday 
after  his  arrival,  two  persons  were  converted  under  his  preach- 
ing.    During  his  stay  in  Derby,  Mr.  Watson  began  his  career 
as  an  author.     An  Episcopal   clergyman  of  that  city,  had 
volunteered  an  unprovoked   attack  upon  the  Methodists,  in 
the  form  of  a  pamphlet,  which  among  other  hard  sayings  con- 
tained in  it,  accused  the  Methodist  preachers  of  preaching 
enthusiastic  doctrines  ;  of  depriving  men  of  innocent  gratifica- 
tions ;  and  subjecting  them  to  needless  alarm,  &c.  &c.     At 
the  request  of  the  friends  in  Derby,  Mr.  Watson  published  a 
reply,  under  the  title  of  "  An  Apology  for  the  People  called 
Methodists,"  &c.     In  this  reply,   Mr.  Watson  states,  "  We 


144  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

distress  the  minds  of  those  well-meaning  people,  who  per- 
haps may  be  at  the  same  time  drmikards,  swearers,  liars, 
Sabbath  breakers,  &c.  We  distress  those  well-meaning  peo- 
ple, by  telling  them  that  they  are  sinners,  and  must  come  to 
Jesus  Christ  for  salvation,  and  that  if  they  obstinately  refuse, 
they  must  all  perish.  Is  not  all  this  Scriptural  ?  And  will 
they  not  have  reason  to  bless  God  for  this  distress,  if  it  leads 
them  to  believe  on  '  him  who  justifieth  the  ungodly  ?'  And 
ought  not  you,  sir,  instead  of  reviling,  to  say  with  the  apostle 
when  some  of  his  poor,  ignorant,  well-meaning  followers  were 
distressed,  'Now  I  rejoice,  not  that  ye  were  made  sorry,  but 
that  ye  sorrowed  to  repentance  ?'  " 

In  August,  1800,  Mr.  Watson  having  travelled  four  years 
on  trial,  and  being  in  his  twentieth  year,  was  received  into 
full  connection,  and  appointed  to  Hinckley  circuit.  While  on 
this  circuit,  he  commenced  the  study  of  the  Hebrew  language, 
in  accordance  with  the  advice  of  Mr.  Edmondson,  and  in  a 
month  from  the  time  that  he  commenced,  he  was  able  to 
read  and  translate  the  first  Psalm  in  Hebrew,  and  account 
grammatically  for  every  word.  He  had  previously  to  this  time, 
mastered  the  Greek  language. 

Thus  far  we  have  followed  Mr.  Watson  from  his  entering 
into  the  ministry,  until  the  present  period,  and  have  dis- 
covered nothing  but  the  most  flattering  prospects  before  him, 
as  a  minister  and  student ;  we  have  seen  his  success  and  ac- 
ceptability as  a  Methodist  preacher,  but  trials  awaited  him  of 
a  serious  nature,  which  it  is  now  our  duty  to  record. 

After  being  on  Hinckley  circuit  for  some  time,  and  having 
in  the  meanwhile  been  engaged  in  reading  certain  authors  on 
the  Trinity  of  the  Godhead,  he  was  led  casually  to  make  an 
unguarded  remark  in  relation  to  the  subject  of  the  Trinity, 
which  being  misunderstood,  brought  him  under  suspicion  of 
being  unsound  on  that  point.  Reports  now  began  to  circulate 
in  reference  to  his  heretical  opinions,  as  they  were  called  ;  and 


RICHARD    WATSON.  145 

Buch  was  the  influence  of  such  false  statements,  made  in  his 
absence,  that  on  going  to  an  evening  appointment,  he  found 
the  place  of  worship  closed  against  him,  and  he  was  even  de- 
nied a  night's  lodging  where  he  had  often  been  received  as 
the  messenger  of  God.  Until  this  time,  he  had  not  been 
aware  of  the  reports  in  circulation,  and  on  being  informed  of 
the  state  of  the  public  feeling  on  this  matter,  he  resented  the 
treatment  so  highly,  that  he  immediately  withdrew  from  the 
work  as  an  itinerant  minister.  This  was  a  hasty  and  injudi- 
cious step  no  doubt,  and  a  step  which  he  afterward  sincerely 
regretted  having  taken  ;  but  we  cannot  too  highly  condemn 
the  proceedings  of  those,  who  without  giving  him  an  oppor- 
tunity to  explain  his  meaning,  defamed  his  character,  and 
stabbed  him  in  the  dark.  At  the  succeeding  Conference,  the 
matter  came  up,  and  the  return  ordered  to  be  made  on  the 
■  minutes  was,  "  Richard  Watson  has  desisted  from  travelling 
by  his  own  choice." 

After  leaving  the  travelling  connection,  Mr.  Watson  did 
not  for  some  time,  unite  with  any  other  church.  He  en-j 
tered  into  business  with  a  respectable  local  preacher  in  Hinck- 
ley, but  he  soon  changed  his  mind,  and  went  to  live  at  Castle 
Donington,  where  he  soon  after  married  Miss  Henshaw,  a 
young  lady  of  deep  piety,  and  suitable  accomplishments.  His 
father-in-law  was  a  local  preacher  in  the  Methodist  New 
Connection,  through  whose  influence,  undoubtedly,  Mr.  Wat- 
son was  induced  to  unite  with  that  branch  of  the  Methodist 
Connection.  He  joined  as  a  simple  private  member,  and  his 
class-leader  was  a  farmer's  laborer,  of  plain  manners,  and  not 
very  lofty  capacity,  and  the  other  members  were  mostly  of 
the  same  humble  rank  in  life  ;  yet  Mr.  Watson  regularly  met 
in  class  every  week,  and  being  an  early  attendant,  he  often 
had  to  act  the  part  of  sexton,  in  opening  the  house,  &c. 
After  a  painful  interval  of  two  years  as  a  private  member,  he 
was  urged  to  become  a  local  preacher  among  his  new  friends, 


146  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

and  shortly  after,  he  became  a  regular  itinerant  among  them, 
and  was  stationed  in  Manchester.  Here  he  lived  on  terms  of 
intimacy  with  many  of  his  old  Wesleyan  friends,  and  was  de- 
servedly popular  among  his  owai  people.  After  a  stay  of  two 
years  and  a  half  in  Manchester,  he  was  sent  to  Liverpool  in 

1806,  and  while  in  this  place,  many  of  the  Wesleyan  preach- 
ers and  members  sat  with  delight  under  his  ministry.     In 

1807,  he  was  re-appointed  to  Liverpool,  having  in  the  mean- 
time been  received  into  full  connection  in  the  Methodist  New 
Connection  Conference.  He  was  also  elected  secretary  of  the 
Conference. 

While  in  Liverpool  during  his  second  year,  he  published  a 
history  and  description  of  Liverpool,  which  was  well  received. 
He  also  wrote  a  Life  of  George  IIL,  as  a  continuation  of  Gold- 
smith's History  of  England.  He  also  assisted  editorially,  in 
the  management  of  a  weekly  paper  published  in  Liverpool, 
all  of  which  duties  he  attended  to  with  great  credit  to  him- 
self In  1808,  he  was  appointed  for  the  third  year  to  Liver- 
pool, having  served  his  Conference  the  second  time  as  Secre- 
*tary.  In  1809,  on  account  of  partial  ill  health,  he  was  made 
supernumerary,  and  re-appointed  to  Liverpool.  His  being 
allowed  to  desist  for  a  time  from  preaching,  enabled  his  lungs 
which  had  become  much  diseased,  to  regain  their  strength  in 
part,  and  although  at  first  the  blood  "  oozed  from  his  lungs," 
he  in  the  course  of  a  few  months  was  able  to  resume  his  min- 
isterial duties. 

At  the  next  Conference  of  1810,  Mr.  Watson  was  appointed 
to  Manchester,  after  an  absence  of  four  years.  While  here  he 
first  became  acquainted  with  E,ev.  Jabez  Bunting  of  the  Wes- 
leyan Connection.  In  the  early  part  of  1811,  a  bill  was  in- 
troduced into  the  House  of  Lords,  by  Lord  Sidmouth,  so  as  to 
prevent  improper  persons  from  taking  the  necessary  oaths  to 
obtain  the  civil  license,  to  preach  according  to  the  "  Act  of 
Toleration."     The  wording  or  verbiage  of  the  bill  was  such, 


RICHARD    WATSON.  14Y 

as  in  tlie  opiiaion  of  many,  would  make  the  proposed  amend- 
ment exceedingly  oppressive  to  all  classes  of  dissenters,  espe- 
cially to  the  Methodists.  Mr.  Bunting  accordingly,  requested 
Mr.  Watson  to  publish  in  the  Manchester  papers,  an  appeal 
to  the  dissenters  to  oppose  the  passage  of  the  bill.  Mr.  Wat- 
son did  so  ;  the  appeal  was  copied  into  other  papers,  and  on 
the  day  set  apart  for  the  second  reading  of  the  bill,  parliament 
received  six  hundred  petitions  against  its  passage,  so  that  the 
bill  was  rejected.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  of  those  petitions, 
were  from  Methodist  Societies,  bearing  the  names  of  thirty 
thousand  persons,  which  names  were  all  obtained  in  the  space 
of  five  days.  They  were  presented  to  the  house  by  Lord  Ers- 
kine,  who  took  occasion  to  eulogize  the  Methodists  for  their 
loyalty,  and  especially  the  founder  of  Methodism,  whose  la- 
bors he  declared  had  not  been  equalled  since  the  days  of  the 
apostles,  for  usefulness  to  his  fellow-men. 

At  the  Conference  of  the  New  Connection  in  1811,  Mr. 
Watson  was  re-appointed  to  Manchester,  but  before  the  close 
of  the  year  his  health  failed,  and  he  removed  to  Liverpool. 
Mr.  Watson  ever  since  his  connection  with  the  body  to  which 
he  had  belonged  for  several  years,  had  felt  unhappy  in  his 
new  relations.  In  fact  he  did  not  feel  at  home  among  that 
people.  His  views  and  theirs,  differed  much  in  relation  to 
Church  government,  and  he  felt  that  he  did  not  have  that 
degree  of  confidence  in  the  system  of  Church  polity  adopted 
by  the  New  Connection  Methodists,  necessary  to  render  his 
labors  abundantly  useful  among  them.  After  advising  with 
some  of  the  most  intelligent  and  confidential  of  his  friends 
among  them,  he  resolved  quietly  to  withdraw  his  connection 
from  them,  which  he  did,  a  few  months  after  his  removal  to 
Liverpool  as  above  described.  No  feelings  of  bitterness  or 
hostility  were  manifested  on  either  side,  by  his  withdrawal, 
and  Mr.  Watson  ever  after  retained  a  strong  afiection  for  the 
people  from  whom  he  had  received  nothing  but  kLidness. 


148  ^ LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS, 

Being  laid  aside  for  want  of  health,  he  could  have  entertained 
small  hopes  of  ever  joining  the  travelling  connection  again  ; 
he,  however,  felt  that  it  would  be  a  privilege  to  belong  to  the 
Wesleyans  as  a  private  member,  in  order  that  he  might  con- 
tinue to  enjoy  the  providential  means  of  grace  to  which  he 
had  so  long  been  accustomed.  He  accordingly  ofiered  him- 
self, and  was  received  as  a  private  member  of  the  Wesleyaa 
Society  in  Liverpool,  and  after  having  done  so,  he  feelingly 
remarked,  that  his  mind  was  now  fully  at  rest  for  the  first 
time  in  eleven  years. 

Having  thus  retired  into  the  more  private  walks  of  life,  he 
began  the  other  duties  of  an  editor  in  Liverpool,  and  with  so 
much  success  that  persons  in  authority  in  London,  offered  him 
every  inducement  to  remove  to  London,  and  employ  his  pen 
in  the  service  of  the  government.  His  health  in  the  mean- 
time began  to  improve ;  his  bleeding  of  the  lungs  subsided, 
and  he  found  himself  able  to  preach  occasionally  as  a  local 
preacher  in  the  Wesleyan  pulpits  of  Liverpool,  and  other 
places.  The  Wesleyan  preachers,  and  especially  Mr.  Bunt- 
ing, unwilling  that  Mr.  Watson  should  confine  himself  to  a 
local  sphere,  besought  him  to  allow  them  to  offer  his  name 
at  the  next  Conference  as  a  candidate  for  membership.  After 
due  deliberation  and  prayer,  he  yielded  to  their  entreaties,  and 
at  the  next  Conference  was  received  with  great  cordiality  by 
his  former  friends,  and  reinstated  without  any  probation  in  the 
Wesleyan  Ministry.  Mr.  Watson  from  this  time  forward, 
enjoyed  uninterrupted  friendship  and  union  with  his  Wesleyan 
brethren. 

By  the  Conference,  Mr.  Watson  was  stationed  in  Wake- 
field, to  which  he  immediately  repaired,  and  shortly  after  his 
arrival  was  invited  to  preach  the  opening  or  dedication  ser- 
mon of  a  new  chapel  in  Halifax.  His  sermon  on  this  occa- 
sion, was  considered  by  good  judges  to  be  one  of  the  best  spe- 
cimens of  pulpit  eloquence  that  they  had  ever  heard.     After 


RICHARD    "WATSON.  149 

the  lapse  of  a  year  from  the  time  of  his  read  mission,  Mr.  Wat- 
son was  re-appointed  to  Wakeley  circuit,  and  it  was  during  his 
second  year  at  this  place  that  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  So- 
ciety was  formed,  toward  the  formation  of  which  Mr.  AVatsoa 
exerted  himself  with  all  the  ability  which  he  possessed.  In- 
deed Mr.  Watson  had  the  honor  of  having  delivered  the  first 
sermon  in  behalf  of  Methodist  missions,  with  the  distinct  ob- 
ject of  producing  a  systematic  course  of  action  in  relation  to 
their  support.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  day  on  which  this 
sermon  was  preached,  the  first  Missionary  meeting  was  held 
in  the  Chapel  in  Leeds.  On  this  occasion  the  meeting  was 
addressed  by  Mr.  Warrener,  who  was  one  of  the  first  mission- 
aries to  the  West  India  Islands,  under  the  superintendence  of 
Dr.  Coke.  Mr.  W.  related  several  interesting  anecdotes  in 
relation  to  the  power  of  the  Gospel  in  converting  the  negro. 
One  of  these  anecdotes,  we  will  give  to  the  reader.  "  On  the 
estate  of  a  Mr.  G.  some  pious  negroes  resided,  who  repaired  to 
the  means  of  grace,  whenever  they  could  go  without  detection. 
Mr.  G.  being  about  to  sail  for  England,  his  manager  was 
heard  to  say  before  his  departure,  '  Mr.  G.  is  going  to  Eng- 
land ;  I  will  then  soon  put  an  end  to  all  this  praying  among 
the  negroes.'  One  day  soon  afterward,  Mr.  G.  was  walking 
between  two  cane  pieces,  when  he  saw  some  ripe  peas  wast- 
ing ;  on  which  he  said  to  his  watchman  who  was  near,  '  Why 
do  you  not  gather  those  peas  ?'  '  0,  massa,'  said  he,  'they no 
my  peas.'  '  Not  your  peas,  you  rogue,'  said  Mr.  G.,  '  do  not 
you  all  take  peas  or  anything  else  which  you  can  get  V  '0, 
massa,'  rejoined  the  watchman,  '  we  negers  who  go  to  prayer 
never  teeve.'  Mr.  G.  said,  '  What  do  you  say  ?  that  you  ne- 
groes who  go  to  prayer  never  thieve  ?'  His  reply  was,  '  0  no, 
massa.'  Mr.  G.  as  he  walked  to  his  house  said  to  himself, 
'  What  have  we  been  doing  not  to  encourage  the  negroes  to 
attend  preaching.'  He  then  called  his  boy  and  said,  '  Go  tell 
Mr. the  manager, — to  address  a  note  in  my  name  to  the 


150  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

missionary,  and  to  inform  him  that  he  is  welcome  to  preach 
on  my  estate  at  any  time.'  Thus  was  a  wicked  design  frus- 
trated, and  the  good  hand  of  God  being  with  us,  we  erected  a 
ehapel  on  that  very  estate,  worth  £400  currency." 

After  two  pleasant  and  profitable  years  spent  in  Wakefield, 
he  was  stationed  in  Hull,  where  as  he  informs  us  he  spent 
"two  of  the  happiest  years  of  his  life."  There  were  three 
chapels  in  this  place,  and  one  in  process  of  erection.  The 
dedication  services  of  the  latter,  took  place  in  Oct.  1814,  at 
which  time  sermons  were  preached  by  Rev.  Messrs.  Bunting, 
Watson,  Newton,  and  Birdsall.  Owing  principally  to  the 
stated  ministrations  of  Mr.  Watson,  a  large  and  respectable 
congregation  was  at  once  secured  ;  and  as  it  is  the  universal 
practice  among  the  Wesleyan  Methodists  to  rent  the  pews  or 
slips  in  their  chapels,  reserving  simply  a  sufficient  number  of 
free  seats  for  strangers  and  poor  persons,  every  sitting  was  let, 
while  eight  hundred  were  reserved  for  the  latter  purpose.  But 
better  than  all,  his  labors  were  attended  by  a  gracious  out- 
pouring of  the  Spirit  of  God  upon  the  people. 

At  the  Conference  of  1816,  Mr.  Watson  was  appointed  to 
the  East  London  circuit.  He  was  also  appointed  one  of  the 
missionary  secretaries,  an  office  for  which  he  was  eminently 
qualified,  and  which  he  retained  during  life.  In  1817,  he 
was  re-appointed  to  the  same  circuit,  and  shortly  after  Con. 
ference,  he  assisted  in  the  opening  of  Q,ueen-street  Wesleyan 
Chapel,  being  the  largest  chapel  in  London,  save  the  City 
K-oad,  and  also  the  most  elegant  and  costly.  During  the  next 
year,  1818,  Mr.  Watson  published  a  defence  of  the  doctrine 
of  the  eternal  sonship  of  Christ,  in  opposition  to  the  objections 
of  Dr.  Adam  Clarke  in  relation  to  the  commonly  received 
opinion  on  that  subject.  This  was  a  masterly  production, 
which  called  forth  the  highest  commendations,  and  proved 
that  Dr.  Clarke  had  in  Mr.  Watson  an  opponent  of  no  ordi- 
nary strength  of  mind.     During  this  year  also,  he  prepared 


KI/JHARD    WATSON.  161 

the  plan  of  a  General  "Wesleyan  Missionary  Society,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  vote  of  the  previous  Conference,  This 
plan  proposed  the  enlistment  of  lay-memhers  of  the  Church, 
a.s  the  managing  committee  of  missions,  reserving  to  the  min- 
istry only  the  examination  and  appointment  of  missionaries, 
und  all  cases  of  discipline,  according  to  the  usages  of  the 
body.  This  plan  was  approved  and  adopted  by  the  ensuing 
Conference  of  1818. 

At  the  Conference  held  the  latter  year,  Mr.  Watson  was 
appointed  to  the  "West  London  circuit,  and  while  here,  he  in 
company  with  Mr.  Bunting,  visited  the  counties  of  Cornwall 
and  Norfolk,  for  the  purpose  of  advocating  the  missionary 
cause  from  the  pulpit  and  platform.  In  1819,  Mr.  Wat- 
son was  re-appointed  to  West  London  circuit,  and  at  the 
Conference  of  1820,  he  drew  up  that  admirable  document  in 
reply  to  the  Address  of  the  General  Conference  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church  in  America,  which  has  been  esteemed 
among  the  latter  as  a  paper  of  great  interest.  In  1820,  he 
was  returned  for  the  third  year,  to  the  West  London  circuit, 
and  was  also  continued  with  his  two  associates  in  the  office 
of  missionary  secretary,  and  on  him  devolved  the  task  of  cor- 
responding with  all  the  missionaries,  then  numbering  about 
ane  hundred  and  fifty. 

As  the  session  of  the  Conference  of  1821  was  approaching, 
Mr.  Watson  was  uncertain  where  his  lot  in  future  would  be 
cast.  He  had  spent  six  years  in  London,  as  an  itinerant 
preacher,  three  years  on  each  of  the  circuits,  and  the  rules  of 
the  Society  did  not  allow  of  a  re-appointment  to  either  of 
them,  until  after  an  absence  of  seven  years.  So  anxious  was 
the  Conference,  however,  to  retain  his  services  as  missionary 
secretary,  that  they  appointed  him  one  of  the  resident  secre- 
taries, so  that  his  services  might  be  wholly  given  to  the  cause 
of  missions,  which  office  he  continued  to  fill  with  great  ac- 
eei^tability  for  the  ensuing  six  years.     Being  now  freed  from 


152  LIVES    OF  EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

the  cares  and  labors  of  a  pastorate,  he  was  able  more  fully  to 
give  his  mind  not  only  to  the  cause  of  missions,  but  to  literary 
pursuits,  his  evenings  being  mostly  spent  in  his  study  ;  but  he 
felt  the  loss  of  those  frequent  social  meetings  which  he  had  so 
long  enjoyed  with  his  brethren.  To  make  up  in  part  for  the 
loss  thus  sustained,  he  entered  his  name  as  a  private  member 
of  a  class,  under  the  care  of  a  pious  and  much-esteemed 
leader.  The  class  consisted  mostly  of  poor  laboring  people, 
and  with  them  Mr.  Watson  would  meet  once  a  week,  and  en- 
joy with  them  the  communion  of  saints.  Mr.  Watson  did 
not  confine  his  labors  in  behalf  of  missions  to  the  discharge  of 
the  duties  of  the  office  in  London,  but  frequently  made  jour- 
neys of  greater  or  less  extent  for  the  purpose  of  pleading  in 
their  behalf,  and  during  such  seasons  he  usually  pleaded  with 
so  much  earnestness  of  feeling,  as  to  draw  not  only  tears  from 
the  eye,  but  generous  contributions  from  the  pocket.  , 

In  the  winter  of  1823,  Mr.  Watson  was  under  the  neces- 
sity of  repairing  to  Brighton,  for  the  benefit  of  his  enfeebled 
health ;  from  this  place  he  frequently  addressed  letters  to  his 
friends,  and  members  of  his  family.  As  an  example  of  his 
lively  style  of  corresponding  with  the  latter,  we  will  give  an 
extract  from  one  of  his  letters  to  his  son  Thomas. 

•   "Brighton,  Feb.  18th,  1823. 

"  Dear  Tom, — After  having  been  cheated  in  the  Angel 
Coach,  in  the  fare,  and  squeezed  up  in  a  six-inside  old  Isling- 
ton stage,  we  arrived  safely  here.  Through  the  mercy  of 
God,  I  feel  my  health  improved  ;  though  the  weather  is  cold, 
I  got  out  to  chapel  twice  yesterday,  and  was  thankful  that 
again  I  was  brought  by  Providence  into  the  house  of  God,  to 
worship  at  his  footstool. 

"  Thursday  was  a  calm  day ;  but  Friday  and  Saturday 
brought  us  gales  and  wind,  and  your  mother  was  all  wonder 
at  the  waves.     The  roar  of  the  sea  was  in  our  ears  night  and 


RICHARD    TVATSON.  153 

day,  and  filled  the  mind  with  sublime  thoughts  of  the  power 
of  the  elements,  and  the  might  of  their  great  Ruler. 

"  We  live  in  a  curious  sort  of  style,  having  every  little 
thing  to  provide.  Sometimes  we  are  without  butter  when 
the  meal  comes,  and  we  have  to  send  out ;  and  then  we  won- 
der whether  our  remaining  piece  of  bread  will  serve  us  for 
breakfast,  or  tea ;  so  that  we  need  a  good  deal  of  contri- 
vance, and  our  forgetfulness  is  often  amusing. 

"  I  hope  you  are  diligent  while  at  study,  and  that  you  will 
leave  yourself  by  application,  the  leisure  for  exercise.  You 
are  now  approaching  man's  estate,  and  must  'put  away 
childish  things.'  Be  thoughtful  for  your  future  prospects  in 
life  ;  and  above  all,  give  your  heart  to  God.  Seek  him  first, 
and  you  will  not  be  without  his  providence  to  direct  you  in 
life  ;  and  without  that,  you  will  be  wretched.  Make  a  point 
of  reading  a  portion  of  Scripture  every  day,  with  prayer  that 
you  may  obtain  pardon  and  experience  that  cotiversion,  with- 
out which,  you  can  never  enter  the  Kingdom  of  God.  Write 
this  upon  your  heart." 

After  Mr.  Watson's  return  to  London,  he  found  his  health 
materially  improved,  so  as  to  continue  writing  a  work  on 
systematic  divinity,  for  the  special  benefit  of  theological  stu- 
dents and  junior  preachers,  commenced  some  time  previous. 
The  first  part  of  the  work,  called  "  Theological  Institutes," 
accordingly  appeared  in  the  spring  of  1823,  and  was  so  well 
received,  that  a  second  edition  was  soon  called  for.  In  about 
a  year  after,  the  second  part  was  published,  and  was  received 
with  like  favor.  In  the  autumn  of  1825,  he  published  the 
third  part,  and  in  a  year  or  more,  the  fourth  part  was  pub- 
lished. It  is  perhaps  not  too  much  to  say,  in  the  praise  of 
this  work,  now  that  the  lamented  author  "  eleepeth,"  that 
there  is  no  work  in  the  English  language,  the  Bible  alone  ex- 
cepted, that  contains  as  much  sound  reasoning  and  legitimate 


154  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

argument,  as  this  one  work  of  Richard  Watson.  It  is,  indeed, 
a  complete  body  of  divinity  in  itself,  and  the  student  who  will 
peruse  it  carefully,  so  as  to  make  himself  acquainted  with  its 
contents,  will  arise  from  its  perusal  a  much  wiser,  if  not  a 
better  man,  and  will,  we  venture  to  say,  know  more  of  theolo- 
gy than  was  ever  taught  in  Oxford  or  Cambridge.  This  one 
work  has  made  the  author's  name  immortal.  As  an  instance 
of  the  author's  liberality,  it  is  proper  to  state,  that  after  un- 
dergoing the  risk  and  expense  of  publication,  and  when  it 
was  found  that  the  merits  of  the  work  were  duly  appreciated, 
that  then,  and  not  till  then,  did  he  in  the  most  delicate  man- 
ner, present  the  copyright  to  the  Conference. 

In  the  early  part  of  Mr.  Watson's  ministry,  he  had  been 
very  much  opposed  to  instrumental  music  in  churches,  so  that 
on  one  occasion  he  wrote  a  humorous  pamphlet  against  the 
practice.  In  the  latter  part  of  his  ministry,  however,  his 
views  underwent  a  change  in  reference  to  this  matter.  To- 
ward the  close  of  the  year  1823,  a  portion  of  the  Society  in 
Wakefield  designed  erecting  an  organ  in  their  chapel.  An- 
other portion  of  the  Society  were  opposed  to  this  innovation, 
and  wrote  to  Mr.  Watson,  desiring  his  views  in  relation  to 
the  matter.     These  he  gave  in  the  following  language  : 

"  Dear  Sir, — I  am  unable  to  say  anything  but  what  is  ex- 
ceedingly obvious  in  the  case  of  the  introduction  of  organs  into 
our  chapels :  and  I  think  the  only  question  to  be  considered 
is,  whether  they  serve,  or  obstruct  congregational  singing.  On 
this,  opinions  differ ;  some  affirming,  and  others  denying  as 
positively,  that  the  congregation  trusts  to  the  organ  and  listens, 
rather  than  joins  in  the  service.  As  far  as  my  observation 
goes,  this  does  not  necessarily  follow.  In  churches  where  the 
congregation  are  irreligious  it  is  so  ;  but  it  would  be  the  same 
if  there  were  only  a  clerk,  or  an  orchestra  of  singers  and  fid- 
dlers. In  many  churches  I  know,  where  the  minister  is  evan- 
gelical, and  the  congregation  is  devotional,  the  organ  is  scarce- 


RICHARD    WATSON.  155 

ly  heard  but  at  the  commencement  of  the  tune,  its  sounds 
being  mingled  with  the  full  swell  of  the  voices  of  the  wor- 
shippers. 

"Among  ourselves  at  Brunswick  Chapel,  Liverpool,  the 
congregation  joins  with  as  much  order,  as  if  there  were  no 
organ.  This  also  is  the  case  at  Bath,  in  both  the  chapels  ;  at 
Margate,  and  at  Newark.  These  facts  have  fixed  my  opinion 
in  favor  of  organs  in  large  chapels,  and  where  they  are  pru- 
dently and  constitutionally  introduced.  The  only  exception  I 
know  is  one  in  which  the  tone  of  the  organ  is  so  intolerably 
harsh,  that  no  sound  in  heaven  or  in  earth,  can  commingle 
with  it.  I  believe,  however,  that  even  there,  the  people  sing ; 
but  after  all,  the  tones  of  the  organ  like  the  voice  of  a  fish- 
woman  in  a  market,  keep  a  lofty  distinction  above  all  the 
others.  This  exception  only  proves  that  it  is  of  importance  to 
have  an  instrument  of  full  and  mellifluous  tone. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  we  shall  regret  the  day,  when  the 
liberty  to  introduce  organs  into  our  chapels  under  certain  cir- 
cumstances was  granted,  if  we  are  to  have  organists  also,  who 
seek  to  display  their  talents,  and  to  tell  a  gaping  crowd  below, 
with  what  elasticity  their  fingers  can  vibrate,  and  how  many 
graces  and  trills  they  can  add  to  the  composition  before  them  ; 
— men,  who  could  not  think  the  sun  shone  bright,  unless  they 
looked  at  his  beams  through  a  painted  transparency  of  their 
own,  and  who  would  fancy  they  heightened  the  sublimity  of 
a  peal  of  thunder,  by  the  ringing  of  hand-bells  during  the 
storm.  The  attempts  of  such  organists,  to  embellish  and  gar- 
nish the  noble  compositions  of  our  great  masters  in  psalmody, 
is  disgusting  beyond  endurance.  Voluntaries  are  equally  ob- 
jectionable for  a  different  reason.  If  good,  they  are  out  of 
place  ;  if  bad  they  do  not  deserve  a  place  anywhere." 

We  have  not  room  for  the  whole  of  his  letter,  but  sufficient 
has  been  given  to  show  what  Mr.  Watson's  views  in  after 


156  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS, 

life  were,  in  regard  to  organs  and  congregational  singing  ;  but 
to  pursue  our  narrative. 

Mr.  Watson  during  the  year  1824,  continued  to  labor  in 
behalf  of  missions,  and  his  heart  was  cheered  by  the  princely 
donation  made  to  the  cause  of  Wesleyan  Missions  during  this 
year,  by  his  friend,  and  the  friend  of  Wesley,  and  Coke,  the 
Rev.  W.  Dodwell,  Vicar  of  Welby,  an  exemplary  and  pious 
clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England.  This  excellent  man 
instead  of  prating  about  "  apostolic  succession,"  and  "infatu- 
ated Methodists,"  bestowed  the  sum  o^  forty-seven  thousand, 
five  hundred  dollars  upon  the  Wesleyan  missionary  treasury  ! 

In  1826,  Mr.  Watson  was  elected  President  of  the  Confer- 
ence, and  discharged  the  duties  of  that  high  office,  in  such  a 
manner,  as  to  secure  more  and  more  the  esteem  and  afifection 
of  the  members.  During  the  year  also,  notwithstanding  his 
bodily  infirmities,  he  attended  faithfully  to  the  general  interests 
of  the  connection.  In  the  spring  of  1827,  accompanied  by 
Mr.  Bunting  he  visited  Scotland  for  the  purpose  of  meeting 
the  preachers  stationed  in  that  country.  Having  finished  the 
business,  which  called  him  to  Edinburgh,  he  returned  to  Eng- 
land, and  thence  proceeded  to  Ireland,  to  preside  over  the  Irish 
Conference,  which  during  that  year  was  held  in  Belfast.  At 
the  Conference  of  1828,  having  in  due  form  resigned  the  pres- 
idency of  the  Connection,  he  was  appointed  to  Manchester 
circuit.  He  had  been  a  resident  of  London  during  eleven 
years,  and  as  the  change  of  residence  would  necessarily  inter- 
fere with  the  duties  of  resident  missionary  secretary,  he  was 
under  the  necessity  of  resigning  that  post.  Such  was  the 
wish,  however,  to  retain  him  as  much  as  possible  in  connec- 
tion with  the  missionary  enterprise,  that  he  was  elected  hon- 
orary secretary,  and  at  the  ensuing  Conference  of  1829,  after 
a  long  debate  about  where  his  services  were  most  needed,  it 
was  resolved  that  he  be  returned  to  London,  as  the  superin- 
tendent of  London  North  (or  city  Road)  circuit.     In  1830, 


RICHARD   "WATSON.  167 

he  published  his  book  called  "  Conversations  for  the  Young," 
a  small,  but  extremely  valuable  Avork,  and  at  the  Conference 
of  1830,  he  was  requested  to  write  a  life  of  Mr.  John  Wesley, 
with  which  request  he  complied  as  soon  as  his  numerous  en- 
gagements would  allow  ;  and  while  engaged  in  this  work,  he 
was  invited  to  fill  the  chair  of  professor  of  Belles-Lettres  and 
Moral  Philosophy,  in  the  Wesleyan  University  in  Middletown, 
Connecticut,  which  invitation  he  respectfully  declined  accept- 
ing. When  his  Life  of  Wesley  was  completed,  he  generous- 
ly presented  the  copy-right  to  the  Conference.  The  Confer- 
ence of  1831,  also  requested  him  to  compile  a  Biblical  and 
Theological  Dictionary,  the  Book  Committee  urging  him  to 
receive  a  pecuniary  consideration  for  his  labor,  but  although 
he  had  been  for  some  length  of  time  collecting  materials  for 
such  a  work,  with  the  intention  of  appropriating  the  profits 
of  its  sale  to  the  benefit  of  his  family  in  case  of  his  decease ; 
yet  on  the  request  being  made  without  knowing  his  previous 
intention,  he  refused  to  appropriate  any  portion  of  the  profits 
to  himself  or  family,  and  again  presented,  when  the  work  was 
completed,  the  copy-right  to  the  Conference.  The  work  was 
completed  in  1832. 

The  Conference  of  1832  was  held  in  Liverpool,  and  during 
the  time  of  its  sittings,  the  cholera  prevailed  to  an  alarming 
extent,  yet  the  preachers  and  the  families  by  whom  they  were 
entertained  were  all  mercifully  preserved  in  answer  to  prayer. 
Before  the  meeting  of  this  Conference,  Mr.  Watson  executed 
a  deed,  whereby  he  conveyed  to  trustees  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Conference,  the  copy-right  of  all  his  works,  except  the  "  Con- 
versations for  the  Young."  This  he  did  in  view  of  the  uncer- 
tainty of  life,  and  his  wish  that  the  copy-rights  might  be  fully, 
and  forever  secured  to  the  Connection.  At  this  Conference, 
on  account  of  increasing  ill-health,  he  was  elected  resident 
Missionary  secretary  again  ;  and  during  a  portion  of  this  year 


158  LIVES   OF  EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

his  leisure  time  was  mostly  occupied  in  writing  "  An  Exposi- 
tion of  the  Gospels." 

The  Conference  year  of  1832-3,  will  long  he  rememhered 
in  the  annals  of  Methodism,  as  one  of  great  mortality  among 
the  talented  and  aged  members  of  the  Church.  Dr.  Clarke 
had  been  suddenly  called  to  his  rest.  E.ev.  Thomas  Stanley 
had  followed  even  more  suddenly ;  and  before  the  year  ter- 
minated, Rev.  John  James,  one  of  Mr.  Watson's  colleagues  in 
the  Missionary  department,  was  summoned  suddenly  into 
eternity.  And  now  Mr.  Watson  himself  began  to  wear  away 
by  slow  degrees,  until  at  length  on  the  8th  day  of  January, 
1833,  his  happy  spirit  took  its  flight  to  the  paradise  of  God, 
to  mingle  with  the  spirits  of  Wesley,  Fletcher,  Coke,  Clarke, 
and  others  who  had  preceded  him.  He  died  in  the  fifty-second 
year  of  his  age,  in  the  most  peaceful,  and  even  triumphant 
manner.  His  remains  were  interred  in  City  Road  Cemetery, 
near  the  tombs  of  Wesley,  Clarke,  Benson,  &c. 

Thus  died  one  of  the  brightest  ornaments  of  the  Methodist 
Connection  in  England  :  but  for  him  "  to  live"  was  "  Christ ; 
to  die,"  was  "  gain." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

REV.   GIDEON   0  U  S  E  L  E  Y. 

Tins  extraordinary  Irish  minister  and  missionary,  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Dunmore,  County  of  Galway,  Ireland,  in  the 
year  1762,  and  was  descended  from  an  ancient  Irish  family 
of  great  respectability. 

While  a  boy,  being  the  eldest  son,  he  was  not  designed  by 
his  father  for  any  profession,  but  being  the  heir-apparent  to 
his  father's  estate,  he  received  such  an  education  as  was  com- 
mon for  gentlemen  of  respectability  to  give  their  eldest  sons  ; 
that  is,  he  received  a  thorough  mathematical  and  classical 
education.  His  younger  brother  was  educated  for  the  army, 
and  was  afterward  distinguished  as  Major  General,  Sir  Ralph 
Ouseley. 

At  an  early  age,  Gideon  was  the  subject  of  deep  religious 
feelings,  and  when  he  attained  to  man's  estate,  his  serious 
impressions,  instead  of  wearing  off,  gradually  increased,  until 
at  length  his  seriousness  deepened  into  pungent  conviction  for 
sin,  and  he  would  often  cry  out,  "  Lord,  help  me  !  What  shall 
I  do  ?  Who  will  teach  me  ?  Priest  and  minister  no  better 
than  myself — as  great  fools  as  I  am.  We  are  all  a  pack  of 
fools  together  !"  While  in  this  state  of  mind,  bordering  on 
skepticism  on  the  one  hand,  and  despair  on  the  other,  his  na- 
tive village  was  visited  in  1789,  by  certain  Methodist  preach- 
ers. From  these  men  of  God  he  received  much  light  in  re- 
gard to  spiritual  things,  but  it  was  not  until  1791,  that  his 


160  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

convictions  assumed  a  decidedly  evangelical  character.  Dur- 
ing the  latter  year,  he  attended  Methodist  preaching  one 
evening,  and  after  sermon,  the  preacher  invited  the  Society  to 
remain,  and  also  other  seriously  disposed  persons.  Mr.  Ouse- 
ley  having  been  a  sincere  inquirer  after  the  right  way,  felt 
inclined  to  stay,  but  feared  there  might  be  some  secret  pro- 
ceedings, with  which  he  could  not  concur,  if  he  did  remain. 
"I'll  wait,"  said  he  to  himself,  "until  I  see  what  they  are 
about  ;  but  if  I  find  any  juggling — any  free-mason's  tricks, 
among  them,  I'll  have  nothing  to  do  with  them."  He  did 
stay,  and  the  fact  of  his  having  attended  again,  and  again 
after  that,  proves  that  his  fears  in  the  first  instance  were  un- 
called for.  This  means  of  grace — class-meeting — for  such  it 
was,  was  rendered  a  peculiar  blessing  to  Mr.  Ouseley,  as  it 
led  him  to  examine  more  closely  his  own  heart,  and  to  learn 
where  absolution  of  sin  must  be  obtained,  if  obtained  at  all ; 
and  so  great  was  his  anxiety  of  mind  increased,  that  he  has 
frequently  been  afterward  heard  to  say  in  reference  td  that 
period,  "  I  got  such  a  sight  of  hell,  and  of  going  into  it,  never, 
never  to  be  released  through  all  eternity,  that  I  cried  from  my 
heart,  '  0,  Lord,  I  will  submit !'  "  And  when  he  did  thus 
fully  submit,  "  pardon,  and  peace,  and  heaven,"  were  infused 
into  his  mind.  The  fruits  of  justification  were  immediately 
manifested  by  him,  by  going  from  house  to  house,  and  from 
neighbor  to  neighbor,  inviting  them  to  come  to  Christ. 

Rev.  Mr.  Woodrow  was  at  that  time  on  the  circuit  where 
Mr.  Ouseley  lived,  and  to  that  holy  and  gifted  man  was  he 
greatly  indebted,  as  an  instrument  of  his  conversion  to  God. 
At  one  of  the  places  on  the  circuit,  the  Episcopal  church  was 
undergoing  repairs,  and  the  Church  service  was  held  in  the 
Methodist  chapel.  The  late  Archdeacon  of  Tuam,  the  Hon. 
and  Rev.  Dr.  Trench,  was  at  that  time  rector  of  the  parish. 
Mr.  Woodrow  would  frequently  hear  the  rector  at  noon,  and 
the  rector  in  turn  would  hear  Mr  Woodrow  in  the  evening. 


GIDEOK    OUSELET.  161 

After  hearing  the  latter  preach  one  evening,  on  the  doctrine 
of  the  new  birth,  he  remarked,  "  If  all  the  Methodist  preach- 
ers can  preach  like  that  good  man,  it  is  not  surprising  that 
the  whole  world  follow  them."  This  same  Dr.  Trench,  when 
Archbishop  of  Tuam,  invited  the  Wesleyan  missionaries  into 
his  province,  and  recommended  them  to  some  of  the  leading 
families  in  the  country,  so  that  Methodism  in  this  part  of  the 
country  was  patronized,  and  its  ministers  honored  by  many 
of  the  influential  in  Church  and  State. 

But  to  return  to  our  subject.  Mr.  Ouseley  could  not  long 
satisfy  his  conscience  with  merely  warning  his  neighbors  to 
flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  He  believed  that  a  dispensa- 
tion of  the  Gospel  was  committed  to  him  ;  yet  he  felt  his  own 
weakness  and  unworthiness  so  much,  that  he  scarcely  dared 
to  venture  on  errands  of  mercy  to  others.  He  would  exclaim, 
"Lord,  I  am  a  poor  ignorant  creature;  how  can  I  go?" 
Then  it  would  rush  into  his  mind,  "  Do  you  know  the  dis- 
ease ?"  "  O  yes,  Lord,  I  do  .'"  "  And  do  you  not  know  the 
cure  ?"  "O  7/es,  glory  be  to  thy  name,  I  do."  "  Then  go 
and  tell  them  of  the  disease  and  the  cure."  So  that  with 
only  these  two  things,  as  he  sometimes  said,  the  knowledge 
of  the  disease  and  the  knowledge  of  the  cure,  he  went  forth 
to  preach  the  Gospel.  Mr.  Ouseley's  first  sermon  was  preached 
in  a  church-yard,  at  a  funeral,  which  was  attended  of  course 
by  another  officiating  clergyman,  and  from  this  time  forth, 
he  preached  in  the  streets  and  church-yard,  at  fairs  and  mar- 
kets, at  wakes  and  funerals,  wherever  in  fact  he  could  find  a 
cono'reo-ation  assembled,  whether  Protestant  or  Catholic. 

One  day,  Mr.  Ouseley,  while  on  a  missionary  tour,  rode  up 
to  a  Catholic  chapel,  where  a  priest  was  celebrating  mass ; 
the  large  congregation  were  on  their  knees ;  Mr.  Ouseley 
knelt  with  them,  and  rendered  every  Latin  word  which  the 
priest  spoke,  into  Irish  ;  and  when  he  wished  any  particular 
part  of  the  service  which  was  Scriptural  impressed  on  the 

11 


162  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

minds  of  the  people,  he  would  emphatically  exclaim,  "Listen 
to  that."  The  people  became  deeply  affected,  and  the  priest 
not  knowing  who  he  was,  was  thunderstruck.  When  the 
service  was  ended,  Mr.  Ouseley  and  the  congregation  rose  on 
their  feet,  and  before  they  retired  from  the  house,  he  delivered 
a  warm-hearted  exhortation  to  them,  to  repent  and  forsake 
their  sins,  and  believe  in  Christ.  When  he  had  finished 
his  exhortation,  the  people  cried  out  to  the  priest,  "  Father, 
who  is  that?"  "I  don't  know,"  he  replied;  "he  is  not  a 
man  at  all,  he  is  an  angel ;  no  man  could  do  what  he  has 
done."  Mr.  Ouseley  mounted  his  horse,  amid  the  prayers 
and  blessings  of  the  people,  and  rode  off  to  seek  another  op- 
portunity of  doing  good. 

In  this  way  he  would  go  from  town  to  town,  and  from 
county  to  county,  preaching  and  exhorting  wherever  an  op- 
portunity offered ;  and  this  practice  he  followed  for  seven 
years,  prior  to  his  connection  with  the  Irish  Methodist  Con- 
ference. But  it  was  not  only  by  public  preaching  and  ex- 
hortation, that  he  sought  to  do  good.  On  one  occasion,  he 
met  a  man  who  had,  by  orders  of  the  priest,  taken  a  pilgrim- 
age of  forty  Irish  miles,  as  a  penance  ;  "  Where  have  you 
been?"  said  Mr.  Ouseley:  ''At  the  reek,''  was  the  reply. 
"What  were  you  doing  there,  poor  man?"  "■Looking  for 
God.''  "Where  is  God?"  ''Everywhere:'  "  Where  would 
you  go  to  look  for  the  day-light  when  the  sun  rose  this  morn- 
ing ?  Would  you  go  forty  miles  to  look  for  the  day-light, 
when  it  was  shining  into  your  own  cabin  door?"  "  O  the 
Lord  help  ^ls,  I  u-oidd  not,  sir."  "Then  would  you  go  on 
your  feet  forty  miles  to  look  for  God,  when  you  could  get  him 
at  your  own  door  ?"  "  O,  then  may  the  Lord  pity  ws,  gentle- 
')nan'.    It' s  true  for  you '.    It' s  true  for  you  !" 

Some  time  after  this,  while  riding  along  the  road,  he  over- 
took a  countryman,  whom  he  addressed  as  follows  :  "  My 
dear  man,  would  you  not  like  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  have 


i 


GIDEON    OCSELET.  163 

his  peace  in  your  heart,  and  stand  clear  hefore  the  great 
Judge,  when  he  will  come  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  to  judge 
the  world  ?"  The  man  replied  :  "  O  glonj  be  to  his  holy  and 
blessed  name  I  Sir,  I  have  his  peace  hi  my  heart,  and  the 
Lord  be  praised  that  I  ever  saiv  your  face'.''  "  You  have  ! 
What  do  you  know  about  this  peace  ?  When  did  you  see 
me  ?"  "  Don't  you  remember  the  day  ichcn  yo^i  were  at 
the  burying,  when  the  priest  ivas  saying  mass  ?"  "  I  do 
very  well,  what  about  that  day  ?"  "  O,  gentleynaii,  yoio 
told  us  then  how  to  get  that  peace  ;  and  I  u-e7it,  blessed  be 
'h  holy  name,  to  Jesus  Christ  my  Saviour,  and  got  it  in 
my  heart;  and  have  it  ever  since."  Thus  Mr.  Ouseley  be- 
gan to  see  the  fruit  of  his  labor  among  the  ignorant  and  de- 
based Catholic  population  of  his  own  country,  for  whom  his 
soul,  like  that  of  Jeremiah,  was  "  in  affliction,"  and  who  like 
the  same  prophet,  would  frequently  exclaim,  "  0,  that  my 
head  were  waters,  and  mine  eyes  a  fountain  of  tears,  that  I 
might  weep  day  and  night  for  the  slain  of  the  daughter  of 
my  people." 

Previously  to  Mr.  Ouseley's  conversion,  the  Lord  had  raised 
up  iu  different  parts  of  Ireland,  a  number  of  eminent  Metho- 
dist missionaries.  Among  these,  may  be  named  Rev.  Thomas 
Walsh,  a  young  man  who  was  so  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  original  Scriptures,  that  if  he  was  questioned  concerning 
any  Hebrew  word  in  the  Old,  or  Greek  word  in  the  New 
Testament,  he  would  tell  how  often  the  word  occurred  in  the 
Bible,  where  it  might  be  found,  and  what  it  meant.  Mr. 
Wesley  pronounced  him  the  greatest  master  of  biblical  knowl- 
edge that  he  ever  saw,  or  ever  expected  to  see  again.  Mr. 
Walsh  was  himself  the  fruit  of  street  preaching,  and  he, 
during  his  short,  but  useful  life,  spent  much  time  in  preach- 
ing to  the  Irish  peasantry  in  their  native  tongue,  and  thou- 
sands of  these,  through  his  instrumentality,  were  converted  to 
<Sod. 


164  LIVES    or    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

Another   of    those    eminent   missionaries,   was    the    Rev 
Charles  Graham,  a  native  of  the  county  of  Sligo.     Mr.  Gra- 
ham had  beeen  educated  in  the  Church  of  England,  but  feel- 
ing a  consciousness  of  inward  depravity,  he  attempted  to  find 
through   the  instrumentality  of  the  "Church,"  that    peace 
which  his  soul  panted   after.     Being   disappointed  here,  he 
went  to  a  Catholic  mass  meeting,  where  there  happened  to 
be  a  funeral  service  at  the  time.     He  learned  that  the  per- 
son who  was  about  to  be  buried  had  been  a  poor  man,  had 
lost  all  his  cattle  by  disease,  and  that  through  the  persuasion 
of  his  neighbors,  the  priest  had  taken  up  a  collection  of  five 
pounds,  to  assist  him  in  his  distress  ;  but  asking  the  priest  for 
the  collection  next  day,  the  latter  said  to  him,  "  I  made  no 
collection  for  you  ;  but  for  myself"      The  poor  man,  enraged 
at  such  monstrous  injustice,  swore  solemnly  that  he  never 
would  bow  his  knee  before  the  priest  again.      This  poor  man 
soon  after  died,  and  when  dying,  the  hard-hearted  priest  re- 
fused to  administer  to  him  the  last  rites  of  his  religion.     He 
was,  however,  prevailed  upon   to   attend   to   the   funeral,  at 
which  time  Mr.  Graham  was  present.     The  address  of  the 
priest  on  this  occasion,  was,  "  This  man's  soul  is  in  hell,  for 
he  did  not  pay  the  rent  of  his  soul   for  the  last  three  years ; 
and  you  will  all  be  damned  likewise,  if  you  do  not  pay  the 
rent  of  your  souls  regularly."     These  facts,  and  this  address, 
convinced   Mr.  Graham  that  he  must  seek   for  light  some- 
where else,  than  in  the  Roman  Church.     Shortly  after,  he 
providentially  became    acquainted  with   the   preaching   and 
doctrine  of  the  Methodists,  and  through  their  instructions,  he 
was  soon  led  to  the  fountain  of  salvation. 

Mr.  Graham's  first  sermon  was  preached  in  the  streets  of 
the  village  of  Milltown,  where  he  was  an  entire  stranger. 
Not  knowing  where  to  find  a  lodging  for  the  night,  he  in- 
quired of  a  lad  if  he  knew  any  one  in  that  town  who  had  the 
Bible,  and  read  it.     "  0  yes,"  said  the  lad,  "  the  clerk  of  the 


GIDEON    OUSELHY.  165 

Church."  Mr.  Graham  rode  up  to  the  door,  and  told  him  he 
had  come  to  find  lodging  with  one  who  read  the  Bible.  The 
man  was  confounded.  "  I  read  the  Bible,  sir  I  no  indeed,  I 
never  read  it,  except  what  I  read  at  Church,  on  Sunday." 
He,  however,  invited  Mr.  Graham  to  stay  with  him,  and 
through  the  advice  of  the  good  missionary,  he  resolved  hence- 
forth to  read  the  Bible,  and  subsequently  became  a  valuable 
member  of  the  Methodist  Society  which  was  formed  in  that 
place.  Through  the  instrumentality  of  Mr.  Graham,  many 
persons  of  note  and  respectability  were  converted  to  the  pure 
doctrines  of  the  Go.spel,  from  popery  and  error. 

Another  missionary  of  great  usefulness,  but  of  entirely  differ- 
ent mould  from  Walsh,  Graham,  or  Ouseley,  was  Bartholo- 
mew Campbell,  a  simple  and  uncultivated  child  of  nature, 
who  added  to  his  natural  simplicity  a  degree  of  strangeness 
and  uncouthness,  at  once  amusing  and  ludicrous.  Campbell 
had  been  a  Roman  Catholic,  but  becoming  burdened  on  ac- 
count of  sin,  and  not  knowing  what  to  do,  he  went  to  the 
priest,  who  enjoined  penance  and  pronounced  absolution,  but 
still  he  found  no  peace  to  his  mind.  His  mental  distress  in- 
creasing, he  went  to  other  priests,  but  still  "  hell  lay  open 
before  him."  At  length  he  went  a  pilgrimage  of  forty  miles, 
to  St.  Patrick's  Purgatory,  at  Lough  Derg,  where  he  supposed 
all  sin  might  be  remitted,  and  having  gone  through  with  all 
the  prescribed  penances,  paid  all  the  necessary  fees,  received 
absolution  from  the  resident  priest,  he  fondly  hoped  that  peace 
of  mind  would  be  secured ;  but  alas,  all  these  things  were 
found  to  be  unavailing.  He  returned  to  the  priest  with  dis- 
appointment, and  told  him  of  the  continued  anguish  of  his 
spirit.  "Did  not  I  give  you  absolution?"  said  the  priest 
"  You  did,  father.''  "  And  do  you  deny  the  authority  of  the 
Church?"  '■  By  no  mea?is,  but  my  soul  is  in  misery ;  ivhat 
shall  I  do?"  "Do!  why  go  to  bed  and  sleep."  "  Sleep! 
no,  father, perhaps  I  might  aivake  in  hell!'"     The  priest, 


166  LIVES    GT   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

exasperated  at  his  stubbornness,  as  he  supposed,  threatened  to 
horsewhip  him  ;  and  poor  Campbell  went  to  a  retired  spot, 
and  despairing  to  find  mercy  anywhere  else,  he  with  groans 
and  tears,  called  aloud  for  Christ  to  have  mercy  on  him,  and 
He  who  said,  "  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are 
heavy  laden,"  gave  the  poor  pilgrim  "  rest,"  and  his  soul  was 
filled  with  joy  unspeakable.  He  at  once  returned  to  the 
priest,  and  told  what  great  things  the  Lord  had  done  for  his 
soul.  "  0,  father,"  said  he,  "  I  am  happy,  I  have  found  the 
cure."  The  ghostly  "  father,"  thinking  him  mad,  again 
threatened  him  with  the  horsewhip.  Campbell  ran  to  a 
number  of  his  fellow-pilgrims,  exhorting  them  to  turn  from 
these  vanities,  and  come  directly  to  Christ,  who  would  give 
them  the  aire  and  the  j'cicel.  After  his  return  home,  he  be- 
came extremely  anxious  for  the  salvation  of  his  wife,  and 
believing  that  there  was  truly  some  virtue  in  a  pilgrimage  to 
Lough  Derg,  he  insisted  on  her  going  there.  His  horse  was 
attached  to  the  cart,  and  a  bed  placed  upon  the  latter ;  and 
on  the  bed,  Campbell,  his  wife,  and  two  children  took  their 
seats,  and  started  for  the  Lough.  But  Mrs.  Campbell  did  not 
there  find  the  cure  and  ihejeioel,  found  by  her  husband,  for 
the  reason  that  she  had  not  as  yet  felt  her  need  of  them. 
Shortly  after,  Campbell  related  to  a  priest  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, what  he  had  experienced  at  the  Lough.  The  priest 
was  affected  even  to  tears,  but  charged  Campbell  not  to  say 
a  word  to  the  people  on  the  subject.  "  Father,"  said  he  in 
reply,  "they  will  all  go  to  hell ;  and  you  will  go  thither  with 
them,  if  you  hide  the  cure  from  them.''  The  priest,  how- 
ever, reiterated  his  admonitions.  Soon  after,  the  priest  was 
celebrating  mass  in  an  old  burial  ground,  and  when  he  had 
concluded,  Campbell  stepped  up  to  him  and  said,  "  Father, 
you  are  to  christen  a  bairn  in  the  village,  go,  and  leave  the 
people  to  me.  The  dead  souls,  you  see,  are  standing  over  the 
dead  bodies ;   and  I  hope  the  Lord  will  awaken  the  upper- 


GIDEON    OUSELEY.  167 

most."  "  Take  care,"  said  the  priest,  "  what  you  do  ;  make 
no  disturbance,  I  charge  you."  After  the  priest  left,  Camp- 
bell began  to  exhort  the  people,  and  with  so  much  effect, 
that  the  ignorant  multitude  wept  and  fell  on  their  knees, 
crying  for  mercy  so  loudly,  that  the  noise  was  heard  in  the 
village.  The  priest  hearing  it,  came  running  back.  "  You 
rascal,"  said  the  latter,  to  Campbell,  "  do  you  oppose  the 
Church  ?"  "  No,  father,  I  have  found  the  Church."  "  You 
villain,  begone,"  said  the  now  infuriated  shepherd,  at  the 
same  time  striking  Campbell  over  the  head  with  a  horse- 
whip. Poor  Campbell  had  yet  a  portion  of  the  "  old  Adam" 
in  him,  and  scarcely  knowing  what  he  did,  gave  the  priest  a 
push,  who  falling  over  a  grave,  brought  his  feet  higher  than 
his  head.  So  sudden  was  the  transition  from  loud  lamenta- 
tion on  account  of  sin,  to  anger  and  resentment  at  seeing 
God's  liohj  lyraste  sticking  his  heels  up  in  the  air,  that  a 
general  Irish  melcc  was  the  result,  and  Campbell  was  obliged 
to  fly  for  his  life.  This  unfortunate  affair  brought  poor 
Campbell  into  great  darkness,  in  which  he  remained  until  he 
met  with  some  Methodists,  who  understood  his  case,  and  led 
him  back  to  the  fountain  for  the  removal  of  guilt.  He  soon 
after  regained  his  peace  of  mind,  and  became  a  useful  mem- 
ber and  missionary  among  the  Methodists  in  Ireland. 

Mr.  Campbell  subsequently  became  a  great  admirer  of  Dr. 
Coke,  and  whenever  it  was  announced  that  the  latter  was 
about  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  country,  Campbell  would  mount 
his  old  white  horse  and  ride  oft^  to  meet  the  doctor,  and  accom- 
pany him  to  the  various  places  of  worship  whither  he  was  go- 
ing. His  appearance  on  such  occasions,  was  sufficiently 
ludicrous  to  create  a  smile  in  the  countenance  of  the  most 
taciturn  and  serious  observers,  especially  when  viewed  in  con- 
trast with  the  more  grave  and  respectable  appearance  of  the 
doctor,  who,  knowing  the  man,  was  not  disposed  to  find  fault 
with  his  uncouth,  yet  well-meant  attentions. 


168  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

We  have  thus  far  allowed  ourselves  to  digress  from  the 
chief  subject  of  the  chapter,  for  the  purpose  of  showing  the 
instruments  which  God  was  employing  to  bring  many  of  the 
Irish  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth. 

About  the  time  in  which  Mr.  Ouseley  joined  the  Methodist 
Conference,  a  deep  and  extensive  rebellion  took  place  in  Ire- 
land, known  as  the  "  Irish  Rebellion."  It  has  been  supposed 
by  many,  that  the  only  object  which  the  I'ebels  had  in  view, 
was  the  deliverance  of  Ireland  from  the  unjust  rule  of  the 
British  government.  The  history  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
rebels  will,  no  doubt,  convmce  the  impartial  reader  that  this 
was  by  no  means  the  only  object,  if  indeed  it  was  the  chief 
object.  The  only  rational  ground  of  belief  is,  that  the  rebel- 
lion was  designed  to  exterminate  the  hated  name  o^  Protestant 
from  the  island  ;  and  the  subsequent  cruelties  practised  upon 
the  unoffending  Protestants,  by  the  bigoted  and  blood-thirsty 
papists,  all  prove  that  their  object  was  popery  more  than 
liberty — an  alliance  with  the  pope  more  than  liberation  from 
England.  The  history  of  that  period  is  one  of  bloodshed,  and 
the  most  diabolical  cruelties  inflicted  upon  unofiending  men, 
women,  and  even  children,  that  the  historian  of  any  nation 
has  ever  been  called  upon  to  record.  It  is  true,  there  were  a 
few  Protestants  at  first  leagued  with  the  papists  in  their 
efforts  to  throw  off  their  allegiance  to  the  crown  of  Great 
Britain,  but  these  were  the  dupes  of  the  paid  agents  of  popery, 
and  as  soon  as  they  discovered  the  real  intentions  of  the  pa- 
pists, and  especially  when  they  saw  their  fellow-protestants  by 
thousands,  murdered  in  cold  blood  before  their  eyes,  they  could 
no  longer  remain  the  dupes  of  designing  men,  but  at  once  for- 
sook the  ranks  of  the  rebels,  and  extinguished  the  flame  of  re- 
bellion in  the  northern  portion  of  the  island. 

In  the  year  1799,  Mr.  Ouseley's  name  first  appeared  on  the 
minutes  of  the  Conference.  This,  it  will  be  perceived,  was  at 
a  time  when  that  ill-fated  country  had  just  passed  through  the 


GIDEON    OUSELET.  169 

scorching  ordeal  alluded  to  in  the  preceding  paragraph — a 
time  when  the  religious  and  political  elements  were  still  in 
commotiou.  The  field  of  labor  assigned  to  Mr.  Ouseley  and 
his  associate  missionaries,  Rev.  Messrs.  M'Gluigg  and  Graham, 
was  not  limited  by  any  territorial  bounds  except  the  rolling 
sea  around  the  island.  They  Avere  emphatically  raissionariea 
at  large,  but  Irish  missionaries,  appointed  under  the  auspices 
of  the  adventurous  Coke,  to  labor  for  the  good,  not  of  a  single 
parish  or  circuit,  but  for  the  good  of  Ireland. 

The  success  of  these  missionaries  during  the  first  year  of 
their  labors  under  the  authority  of  the  Conference  was  such, 
that  the  next  Conference  added  to  the  number,  by  the  appoint- 
ment of  Mr.  Bell.  Messrs.  M'Cluigg  and  Bell  travelled 
through  tlie  provinces  of  Connaught  and  Leinster,  while  the 
other  two  travelled  and  preached  more  at  large.  Their  favor- 
ite places  for  preaching,  were  the  streets  and  markets  ;  and  the 
mighty  power  of  God  accompanied  their  word  with  such  unc- 
tion, that  young  and  old  frequently  fell  prostrate  in  the  most 
public  places  of  resort.  Among  the  suhjects  of  revival  under 
their  instrumentality,  were  two  young  men  who  had  met  to 
fight  a  duel,  but  were  prevented  by  means  of  a  wall  falling  on 
one  of  the  spectators,  which  crushed  him  to  death.  A  short 
time  after,  both  these  young  men  were  converted,  and  walked 
for  years  together  in  the  ways  of  religion  and  virtue.  Nor 
was  the  success  of  the  missionaries  confined  to  the  conversion 
of  nominal  Protestants,  but  hundreds,  yea,  thousands  of  the 
Catholic  population  were  converted,  not  only  to  protestantism, 
but  to  Christianity — being  horn  from  above.  But  we  are  not 
to  suppose  that  Satan  could  see  his  kingdom  thus  falling, 
without  making  a  strong  effort  through  his  agents  to  stop  the 
progress  of  the  work  by  persecution  and  other  means  of  like 
character.  Mobs  were  resorted  to,  by  persons  of  the  baser 
sort,  as  a  laudable  way  of  stopping  the  mouths  of  God's  mes- 
sengers.    Stones,  dirt,  &c.,  were  at  times  fieely  discharged  at 


1*10  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

them,  but  "  none  of  those  things  moved  them ;"  they  still  went 
on  their  way  rejoicing. 

At  the  Conference  of  1802,  Mr.  Ouseley  was  again  appointed, 
in  connection  with  Mr.  Graham,  to  the  Irish  mission.  Their 
field  of  labor  was  the  provinces  of  Leinster,  Munster,  and 
Ulster,  embracing  the  districts  where  the  rebellion  had  raged 
most  fiercely  a  year  or  two  previously.  Even  here,  their 
word  was  attended  with  power,  and  many  of  the  rebels  were 
the  subjects  of  converting  grace.  Many  are  the  pleasing  in- 
cidents related  in  connection  with  their  labors  in  this  part  of 
the  work,  but  our  limits  will  not  allow  us  to  transcribe  them. 
At  the  Conferences  of  1803  and  1804,  they  were,  for  the  sixth 
time,  appointed  to  labor  together,  their  field  of  labor  gradually 
becoming  smaller  each  year,  as  laborers  increased  m  numbers  ; 
and  it  is  worthy  of  note,  that  in  Ireland,  the  only  influential 
opposers  to  the  Methodists  were  the  Eoman  priests,  who  saw 
their  crafts  were  in  danger,  while  the  clergy  and  dignitaries 
of  the  Episcopal  Church  were  generally  favorable  to  the  la- 
bors of  the  missionaries,  and  while  civil  oflicers  of  high  repute, 
aflbrded  them  all  the  protection  in  their  power.  How  difler- 
ent  from  the  conduct  generally  of  like  classes  in  England.  In 
1805,  Mr.  Ouseley  was  appointed  to  labor  with  Rev.  Wm. 
Hamilton,  as  his  colleague.  The  former  while  preaching  one 
Sabbath  day  in  the  streets  of  Cavlow,  where  he  found  hun- 
dreds of  country  laborers  who  were  in  town  looking  for  em- 
ployment, with  their  reaping  hooks  or  sickles  over  their 
shoulders,  was  rushed  upon  by  a  number  of  these  persons  who 
were  evidently  determined  to  destroy  him  ;  and  had  it  not 
been  for  a  gentleman  who  opened  his  door  and  dragged  Mr. 
Ouseley  into  his  house,  they  no  doubt  would  have  succeeded 
in  their  purpose. 

During  the  year  following  the  Conference  of  1806,  Mr. 
Ouseley  appears  to  have  labored  mostly  in  the  district  of 
country,  round  and  about  Dublin.     On  one  occasion  he  visit- 


GIDEON    OUSELEY.  l7l 

ed  the  town  of  Drogheda,  which  has  always  been  noted  for 
the  swarm  of  beggars,  who  daily  infest  its  streets.  Mr. 
Ouseley,  desirous  of  doing  this  neglected  class  some  good,  if 
possible,  gave  notice  that  he  would  preach  to  them  on  the 
morning  of  his  departure  from  the  town.  In  obedience  to  the 
call,  a  vast  multitude  of  beggars  collected  together,  who  stood 
next  the  preacher,  besides  hundreds  of  others  drawn  together 
by  the  novelty  of  the  occasion.  Mr.  Ouseley  took  for  his  text 
the  history  of  the  rich  man  and  Lazarus,  and  not  only  did  the 
beggars  weep,  but  those  who  came  as  spectators  merely,  were 
greatly  affected.  Mr.  Ouseley  retired,  bearing  with  him  the 
blessings  of  the  poor  creatures,  for  whose  special  benefit  he 
had  labored. 

At  the  next  Conference,  Mr.  Ouseley  directed  his  attention 
to  the  region  round  about  his  own  native  province.  In  this 
region  of  country,  he  was  very  successful  in  his  labors.  He 
not  only  knew  how  to  give  "the  trumpet  a  certain  sound" 
when  preaching,  but  he  always  had  a  seasonable  word  of  ad- 
vice for  every  person,  whether  high  or  low,  rich  or  poor, 
Protestant  or  Catholic.  Coming  up  one  day  in  summer  to 
where  some  men  were  cutting  peat,  he  inquired,  "What  are 
you  doing,  boys?"  "We  are  cutting  turf,"  was  the  reply. 
"  Sure  you  don't  require  them  this  fine  weather  ?"  "  No,  sir, 
we  don't  want  them  now  ;  but  we  will  want  them  in  the  cold 
days  of  winter  out  here,  and  in  the  long  nights."  "And,  ye 
fools,  won't  it  be  time  enough  to  cut  them  when  ye  want  them  ? 
Let  winter  provide  for  itself"  "  0,  muisha,  sir,  it  will  be  too 
late  then."  Mr.  Ouseley's  moral  may  be  inferred  from  the 
above. 

While  Mr.  0.  was  in  Dublin  on  one  occasion,  he  had  a  call 
from  a  gentleman  of  note,  to  visit  a  certain  noble  lord  residing 
there.  The  gentleman  was  a  pious  man,  and  had  a  great 
anxiety  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  his  noble  friend.  He  had 
made  several  attempts  to  prevail  on  clergymen  of  the  estab- 


172  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

lishment  to  speak  with  his  friend  on  the  subject  of  salvation, 
and  although  he  once  obtained  a  promise  to  that  effect  from 
one  of  the  clergy,  yet  all  who  had  been  spoken  to,  were  evi- 
dently afraid  of  his  lordship.  At  last  he  thought  of  Mr.  Ouse- 
ley's  being  in  town  ;  "  I'll  tell  you  what,'''  said  he  to  himself, 
"I'll  go  to  Gideon ;  he's  in  town;  Ae'ZZ  go  with  me."  He 
accordingly  went  with  his  carriage  after  Mr.  Ouseley,  who 
willingly  consented  to  go  with  him  to  the  mansion  of  his  lord- 
ship. After  the  usual  compliments,  Mr.  Ouseley  in  the  most 
plain,  yet  respectful  manner,  urged  upon  his  lordship's  atten- 
tion the  importance  of  being  prepared  for  eternity.  "  Mr. 
Ouseley,"  replied  his  lordship,  "public  business  must  be  at- 
tended to,  and  we  have  no  time  for  these  things."  Mr.  0. 
replied,  "  But,  my  lord,  we  must  have  time  to  die,  and  we 
should  be  prepared  for  that  inevitable  event."  "And  what 
am  I  to  do,  Mr.  Ouseley  ?"  "  There  is  the  New  Testament,  it 
contains  the  will  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  tells  you  what 
you  are  to  do,  my  lord."  "  But,  Mr.  Ouseley,  there  are  many 
things  in  that  book  which  I  can  understand,  and  that  I  ad- 
mire. I  must  confess,  however,  there  are  other  things  I  can- 
not agree  with."  "  Ah  I  my  lord,  that  will  never  do.  What 
if  your  lordship  had  a  case  submitted  to  you  by  an  individual, 
for  an  opinion  ;  and  after  your  opinion  had  been  drawn  up 
with  the  utmost  care,  and  legal  accuracy,  he  wovild  say,  'Why, 
my  lord,  there  is  part  of  this  I  like  pretty  well,  but  with  other 
parts  I  cannot  agree,'  what  would  you  say,  my  lord  ?"  "Ah  ! 
I  perceive  your  meaning  :  we  must  receive  the  whole  as  a  rev- 
elation from  God."  "  Exactly  so,  my  lord.  Take  up  that 
book  ;  believe  what  it  says ;  and  do  what  it  commands,  and 
you  will,  my  lord,  be  prepared  by  His  mercy,  for  the  hour  of 
death,  and  for  that  day,  when  the  great  Judge  shall  appear." 
The  nobleman  expressed  his  gratitude  to  Mr.  Ouseley  for  his 
kindness  and  frankness,  and  invited  him  and  his  friend  to 
dinner,  which  invitation  they  accepted,  but  during  the  repast, 


GIDEON    OUSELET.  173 

Mr.  0.  woTild  in  the  most  faithful  manner,  call  his  lordship's 
attention  to  the  "one  thing  necdi'ul,"  and  that,  too,  in  a  way 
in  which  he  was  not  accustomed  to  listen  to  gospel  truth. 

Great  trouble  and  agitation  prevailed  during  the  years 
1806-7,  throughout  the  province  whore  Mr.  Ouseley  was  at 
that  period  laboring.  A  body  of  men,  called  "  Threshers,'" 
infested  the  country,  who  organized  themselves  into  a  band 
of  freebooters,  for  the  ostensible  purpose  of  putting  an  end  to 
the  tithing  system,  and  to  reduce  the  dues  or  fees  of  the 
Romish  priests.  They  committed  many  ravages  upon  the 
property  of  the  peaceable  inhabitants  of  the  country,  crying 
vengeance  on  the  priests  and  ministers,  so  that  those  who  had 
heretofore  gladly  received  the  missionaries,  and  especially 
Mr.  Ouseley,  were  now  afraid  to  open  their  houses  for  their  re- 
ceptipn.  Mr.  0.  however,  was  nothing  daunted,  but  urged 
his  way  along  from  place  to  place,  and  wherever  he  met  a 
company  of  the  Threshers,  he  preached  plainly  to  them,  and 
in  return  they  not  only  respected  him,  but  even  threatened 
vengeance  against  any  Roman  priest  who  would  molest  him. 

In  one  place,  where  ten  or  twelve  Roman  Catholics  had 
been  converted,  and  had  joined  the  Methodist  Society,  the 
priest,  who  was  a  great  drunkard,  came  among  them  and 
greatly  terrified  the  people  who  came  to  hear  Mr.  0.  by 
threatening  to  curse  them,  and  make  the  very  hair  fall  ofi'  from 
their  head,  and  when  dying  would  not  give  them  the  seal  of 
Christ  (the  ointment  of  extreme  unction),  and  then,  said  he, 
"  what  will  you  do  ?"  Mr.  Ouseley  pi'eached  them  a  sermon 
on  false  prophets,  and  one  cried  out  in  Irish,  "  0,  the  priest — 
the  priest,  why  is  he  hindering  us  from  all  this  comfort  and 
sweetness  ?"  The  next  morning,  Mr  0.  preached  again  in 
the  same  place  to  a  large  congregation,  where  a  number  of 
conversions  took  place.  First  a  Romish  woman  cried  for 
mercy,  and  soon  was  praising  God  aloud ;  then  a  Protestant 
young  woman  was  converted ;  then  a  Romanist ;  then  a  Prot- 


174  trVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

estant  again,  until  half  a  dozen  or  more  in  the  course  of  a  few 
minutes  were  converted,  and  praised  God  from  a  full  heart. 
"  0,"  said  one  in  Irish,  "  God  is  dealing  finely,  and  fairly,  for 
he  is  giving  us  one  about  of  each  sort."  "0,"  said  some  of 
the  converted  Ptomanists,  "  the  priest  may  talk,  and  that  is 
all  he'll  have  for  it." 

In  1808,  Mr.  Ouseley  and  Mr.  Hamilton  visited  the  county 
of  Clare.  The  latter,  in  describing  some  of  the  scenes  through 
which  they  passed,  remarks,  "  Such  a  year  of  persecution  I 
never  had.  Cruel  mockings  are  nothing,  and  showers  of  stones 
and  dirt,  are  but  play ;  but  bloodshed  and  battery  are  no 
joke.  Last  Christmas  we  were  waylaid,  and  robbed  of  our 
books.  Mr.  Ouseley  was  hurt,  and  lost  his  hat  in  the  affray, 
and  he  had  to  ride  seven  miles  without  one.  I  thought  we 
should  never  leave  the  spot.  It  happened  near  Eyre-court  on 
the  Shannon.  We  had  preached  there  that  day,  and  had  a 
battle  with  the  priest  and  his  people.  The  priest  beat  ray 
horse  greatly,  and  the  people  dragged  him  down  on  the  street, 
and  I  on  his  back,  but  a  soldier  got  me  into  the  barrack-yard. 
Ouseley  was  hurt  there  too.  The  soldiers  then  got  to  arras, 
loaded  their  pieces,  fixed  their  bayonets,  marched  out  before 
us,  and  formed  a  square  about  us  both  in  the  street,  until  we 
preached  to  the  market  people.  They  then  put  us  safe  out 
of  town  ;  but  never  thought  that  our  persecutors  had  got  out 
before  us,  and  lay  concealed  until  we  came  up,  and  then  sur- 
sounded  us  with  horrid  shoutings,  as  if  Scullabogue  barn  had 
been  on  fire.  At  another  time  a  big  priest  and  I  were  in 
holds  with  each  other,  as  he  was  going  to  pull  Mr.  Ouseley 
down.  I  could  easily  have  injured  him,  for  he  was  very 
drunk." 

During  the  next  year,  Mr.  0.  preached  on  the  Galway  and 
Clare  mission,  with  Rev.  Wm.  Rutledge  for  a  colleague.  The 
following  incident  is  related  in  reference  to  a  village  frequent- 
ly visited  by  Mr.  Ouseley.     A  class  had  been  formed,  but  a 


GIDEON    OUSELEY.  175 

gang  of  desperadoes  were  determined  to  break  up  the  meet- 
ings.    One  evening  they  resolved  to  attend  a  class-meeting, 
and  to  efiect  their  purpose  they  selected  their  leader  to  enter 
the  room  before  meeting  commenced,  so  that  at  the  proper 
time,  he  might  open  the  door  for  the  rest  of  the  gang.     The 
members,  knowing  the  character  of  the  intruder,  suspected 
mischief,  but  said  nothing  to  him.     At  length  the  meeting 
opened  by  singing.     The  intruder  said  to  himself,  "  This  is 
very  'purty  ;  I'll  not  disturb  them."    Prayer  was  offered  :  "  I'll 
let  them  alone  till  they  have  done  their  prayers."     They  be- 
gan to  speak  ;  "  I'd  like  to  hear  what  they  have  to  say,"  said 
Pat.     The  leader  of  the  class  went  all  round,  and  while  they 
were  speaking,  God's  Spirit  began  to  operate  on  the  heart  of 
the  wicked  man.     At  length  the  class-leader  spoke  to  him, 
and  said :  "  My  good  man,  have  you  any  knowledge  of  the 
things  of  which  we  have  boen  speaking  ?     Did  you  ever  feel 
yourself  a  sinner  before  God,  and  that  you  deserved  forever  to 
be  exclvided  from  his  presence  ?"'     The  poor  man  began  to 
weep,  and  cried  out  in  the  bitterness  of  his  soul  :  "  Lord  have 
mercy  upon  me  I  What  shall  I  do  ?    I  am  a  wicked  sinner  !'' 
The  state  of  poor  PaVs  mind  was  unexpected  to  the  members 
of  the  little  class.     Prayer,  fervent  and  effectual,  was  imme- 
diately offered  in  his  behalf,  and  he  soon  became  a  subject  of 
the  converting  grace  of  God,  and  afterward  w^as  found  a  zeal- 
ous advocate  of  the  "  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus."    While  the  class 
was  praying  for  the  conversion  of  the  weeping  penitent,  his 
comrades  without  were  waiting  with  the  utmost  impatience 
for  the  opening  of  the  door  ;  and  not  knowing  what  was  going 
on  within  in  reference  to  their  companion,  they  kept  walking 
back  and  forth,  frequently  saying  :  "  The  devil's  among  the 
Swaddlers.''' 

In  such  a  manner  was  God  often  pleased  to  manifest  his 
power  in  the  subjugation  of  the  depraved  heart  to  his  will 
and  authority ;  thus  causing  "  the    wrath  of  man  to  praise 


lV6  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

him,"  while  "  the  remainder  of  wrath"  he  was  pleased  to  "re- 
strain." 

At  the  Conference  of  1810,  Mr.  Ouseley  was  reappointed  to 
the  Galway  and  Clare  mission,  having  two  young  men  ap- 
pointed as  his  helpers  or  assistants  in  the  work.     One  of  these 
describes  a  scene  of  which  he  Avas  a  witness,  which  serves  to 
show  the  ignorance  and  superstition  of  the  Irish  papists,  for 
whose   special  benefit  these    missions   had    been   instituted. 
While  passing  a  place  of  religious  resort,  called  Kilmacduagh, 
he  saw  men  and  women  in  the  most  indecent  manner,  walk- 
ing on   their  bare  knees  over  rough  gravel  and  stones,  the 
blood  streaming  from  their  lacerated  limbs  ;  while  gazing  on 
the  scene  with  horror  and  pity,  he  was  approached  by  the 
spiritual  superintendent  or  guide,  who  offered  to  escort  him 
over  the  place.     After  being  shown  all  the  curiosities,  the 
missionary  inquired  why  the  people  were  exposing  and  cutting 
themselves  in  that  dreadful  manner.     "  0,  for  penance  ;  for 
the  benefit  of  their  souls,"  replied  the  guide.     "  What  is  the 
cause  of  so  much  of  that  tree  yonder,  being  cut  away?" 
"  I'll  tell  you  :  the  saint  of  this  place,  Macduagh,  travelled 
round  the  world  on  his  knees  till  he  came  to  a  place  below 
there  ;  and  there  a  girdle  which  he  had  round  him,  fell  ofi'; 
there  was  a  tree  standing  there,  which  received  such  virtue, 
that  a  piece  of  it  would  preserve  from  sickness  and  accident, 
and  if  thrown  into  a  house  on  fire,  would  put  it  out."     "  And 
where  is  that  tree  now  ?"     "  0,  it's  all  cut  away."     "  Did  it 
then  transfer  its  efficacy  to  the   one  which  they   are  now 
cutting  away?"     "When  the  first  was  all  gone,  why,  they- 
began  at  the  other.     Do,  sir,  take  a  piece  of  it  with  you  ;  it 
will  keep  you  from  all  harm  ;  nothing  can  ever  happen  to 
you   while  you   have  it   about  you  ;  nor  can  any  house  be 
burned  where  it  is."     "  Thank  you,  I  shall  not  mind  it  now. 
You  seem  so  very  well  acquainted  with  these  performances,  I 
suppose  you  have  frequently  engaged  in  them  yourself;  have 


GIDEON    OUSELEY.  lV7 

you  ?"  "Not  as  often  as  I  ought,  for  myself;  but  I  have 
often  to  perform  penance  for  other  people."  "  How  is  that  ?" 
"  Why,  when  any  of  them  are  sick,  or  their  children  sick, 
they  make  a  vow  to  the  saint,  that  if  they  recover,  they  will 
go  through  so  many  rounds  here  ;  then,  when  they  don't  like  to 
go  through  them  themselves,  they  get  me  to  perform  their  vows 
for  them."  "  Do  they  not  pay  you,  for  thus  performing  their 
vows  for  them  ?"  "  0  yes  ;  if  they  didn't,  there  would  be  no 
virtue  in  the  thing  at  all."  During  this  dialogue,  the  guide 
uttered  several  oaths  and  curses,  and  on  the  missionary  ex- 
pressing his  want  of  confidence  in  such  a  wretched  system  of 
religious  penance,  "  Ah !  you  are  not  Irish,"  said  the  guide. 
"  Indeed  I  am,''  said  the  missionary  ;  "  I  have  never  been  in 
England."  "  If  you  are  not  English,  you  belong  to  them,  so 
you  do,"  retorted  the  guide. 

Mr.  Ouscley  continued  his  indefatigable  labor  for  the  benefit 
of  his  benighted  and  degraded  countrymen,  penetrating  the 
most  remote  and  lonely  districts  of  country,  going  frequently 
without  food  and  shelter ;  and  exposing  himself  to  the  re- 
proach of  the  ignorant  and  degraded  Catholics,  that  he 
"  might  win  them  to  Christ;"  and  such  was  his  earnestness 
and  zeal,  that  he  never  was  satisfied,  unless  during  every 
meeting,  and  under  every  sermon,  souls  were  converted  to 
God.  Nor  did  he  neglect  his  studies,  amidst  his  multifarious 
travels  and  missionary  duties.  While  riding  on  horseback,  he 
generally  had  his  Greek  testament  in  his  hand,  or  a  Latin, 
English,  or  Irish  book,  from  which  he  would  store  his  mind 
with  an  increase  of  useful  knowledge,  while  going  from  place 
to  place.  Wherever  he  stopped  also,  if  only  for  a  moment, 
he  had  words  of  instruction  and  counsel  for  the  unconverted. 
On  one  occasion,  he  stopped  at  a  stream  to  water  his  horse, 
and  seeing  a  young  lady  standing  in  the  door  of  a  neighboring 
house,  he  went  toward  her,  took  her  by  the  hand,  spoke  to  her 
about  her  soul,  and  prayed  that  the  blessing  of  God  might 

12 


178  LIVES    OF   EMIKENT   MINISTERS. 

rest  upon  her.  About  two  years  afterward,  being  invited  to 
preach  in  that  neighborhood,  he  was  kindly  asked  by  a  young 
man,  to  go  home  with  him  to  his  house.  Mr.  Ouseley  did  so  ; 
the  lady  of  the  house  received  him  in  the  most  affectionate 
manner,  and  then  related  to  him  that  she  was  the  same  per- 
son whom  he  had  addressed  as  above  stated  ;  that  the  few 
•words  of  counsel  and  instruction  then  given,  led  her  to  Christ ; 
that  she  was  now  married  to  the  young  man  who  had  invited 
him  home,  and  that  her  husband  was  a  class-leader. 

In  1811,  Mr.  Ouseley  was  again  appointed  to  the  Galway 
and  Clare  mission,  and  his  labors  and  those  of  his  colleagues, 
having  been  greatly  blessed,  it  became  necessary  to  erect  a 
number  of  chapels  for  the  accommodation  of  the  societies 
formed  by  them.  All  classes  were  solicited  to  aid  in  the 
erection  of  these  chapels,  and  not  only  the  Protestant  gentry 
and  clergy  contributed  freely  for  the  purpose,  but  strange 
as  it  may  seem,  many  of  the  Roman  Catholic  priests  and 
gentlemen,  greatly  aided  in  the  work  by  donations  and 
recommendations  to  their  people  to  assist.  On  one  occa- 
sion, one  of  Mr.  Ouseley's  colleagues — Mr.  O'Reilly — applied 
to  the  Roman  parish  priest,  of  Nenagh,  for  a  subscription  for 
the  Nenagh  Methodist  Chapel.  Upon  being  informed  of  the 
object  of  the  visit,  the  kind-hearted  priest  said,  "  Indeed, 
astliore,  I  will  give  you  a  guinea  on  account  of  your  name." 
"  I  could  give  you  the  money  now,  but  I  want  to  see  you 
again,"  continued  he.  Mr.  O'Reilly  called  again,  and  the 
guinea  was  immediately  paid,  the  priest,  at  the  same  time, 
desiring  him  to  lend  him  some  Methodist  books,  for,  said  he, 
I  want  to  form  a  judgment  for  myself  of  your  religion.  One 
of  this  priest's  parishioners,  a  lady  of  great  respectability,  had 
been  awakened  under  Methodist  preaching,  which  fact  gave 
great  offence  to  the  priest's  coadjutor.  The  latter  came  to 
the  priest,  and  said,  "  There  now — what  will  you  do  ?  your 
■whole  parish  are  going  after  the  Swaddlers.     There  is  Mrs. 


GIDEON    OUSELET.  l79 

K ,  the  most  respectable  woman  in  your  flock,  gone  too." 

"And  what  would  you  have  me  to  do?"  said  the  priest. 
"  Denounce  her  from  the  altar,"  was  the  reply.  "  JS'hiisha, 
then,  I'll  not  denounce  her,  or  any  one  else;  let  the  decent 
woman  go  where  she  likes." 

About  this  time,  a  Father  Thayer,  a  Roman  priest  from 
America,  arrogantly  challenged  the  whole  Protestant  literati 
to  answer  his  arguments  in  favor  of  Romanism.  Mr.  Ouseley 
took  up  the  gauntlet,  and  in  the  most  masterly  manner,  drove 
his  antagonist  from  the  ground,  which  so  mortified  the  Amer- 
ican champion  of  popery,  that  giving  way  to  his  disappoint- 
ment and  chagrin,  he  shortly  after  died  in  Limerick,  a  vic- 
tim to  his  own  folly,  in  arousing  the  most  able  man  in  Ireland, 
to  a  defence  of  Protestantism.  This  controversy  gave  rise  to  Mr. 
Ouseley's  great  work,  entitled  "  Old  Christianity,  against  Papal 
Novelties,"  a  work  which  does  honor  to  the  land  of  his  birth. 

As  an  instance  of  his  controversial  powers,  we  will  relate 
the  following  incident.  Being  in  company  one  evening  with 
a  Romish  priest,  named  Glin,  the  latter  abruptly  attacked 
Mr.  0.  on  doctrinal  subjects.  Mr.  Ouseley  at  once  raised  ob- 
jections to  the  popish  doctrines  of  extreme  unction,  transub- 
stantiation,  &c.  In  relation  to  the  former,  the  priest  inquired, 
"  0,  my  dear  sir,  was  it  not  taught  by  St.  James  as  having 
been  instituted  by  Jesus  Christ  ?"  Mr.  0.  replied,  "  No,  sir  ; 
you  are  aware  that  in  order  to  its  being  a  sacrament,  it  should 
have  been  instituted  by  Christ ;  and  so  much  was  the  Coun- 
cil of  Trent  at  a  loss,  that  three  hundred  bishops,  with  the 
pope  at  their  head,  could  not  find  a  single  word  of  our  Lord 
to  sanction  its  institution.  Lest  you  might  suppose  me  ar- 
guing unfairly,  I'll  quote  the  words  of  the  Trent  Council  for 
you."  He  then  quoted  verbatim  the  words  of  the  Council, 
and  proved  thereby,  that  extreme  unction  is  not  a  sacrament 
of  Jesus  Christ.  He  next  spoke  on  the  subject  of  half  com- 
munion and  the  real  presence,  and  so  confounded  the  poor 


180  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

priest,  who  was  indeed  a  man  of  considerable  argumentative 
powers,  that  the  latter  exclaimed,  "0,  my  dear  sir,  if  you 
were  to  see  all  the  books  that  I  saw,  when  1  was  at  college 
in  France,  on  that  one  subject"— the  real  presence—"  you 
would  be  afraid  to  speak  a  word  upon  it  all  the  days  of  your 
life."  Mr.  0.  rejoined,  "  My  dear  sir,  there  are  some  things 
a  child  may  know  as  well  as  an  archbishop ;  for  instance, 
how  many  panes  of  glass  there  are  in  that  window."  "  Poll !" 
said  the  priest,  "  that's  a  physical  fact ;  any  one  can  tell 
that."  "  Is  it  not  equally  a  physical  fact,  that  John  the 
Baptist  was  not  the  son  of  the  Virgin  Mary?"  "Very  true 
indeed,  sir,"  replied  the  priest.  "Why  is  he  not  her  son.'" 
inquired  Mr.  0.  "  Because  John  the  Baptist  was  never  born 
of  the  Virgin  Mary,"  said  the  priest.  "  Could  any  man  that 
had  never  been  born  of  her,  ever  become  her  son  ?"  "  Cer- 
tainly not,"  replied  the  priest.  "  Could  any  thijtg  that  never- 
was  born  of  her,  ever  become  her  son?"  "  Indeed,  I  think 
not,"  said  the  unsuspecting  priest.  "  I  have  you  now,  my 
good  fellow,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Ouseley ;  "can  the  corn  which 
grew  last  year,  ground  by  the  miller,  baked  by  the  baker, 
and  consecrated  by  the  priest,  by  any  power  of  God  or  man, 
ever  become  the  son  of  the  Virgin  Mary  ?"  "  0,"  said  Father 
Glin,  "all  things  are  possible  to  God."  "No,"  retorted  Mr. 
0.,  "  all  things  are  not  possible  to  God,  for  it  is  impossible  for 
God  to  lie,  or  work  a  self-contradiction,  which  would  be  ne- 
cessarily involved  in  the  doctrine  of  your  Church  ;  and  how 
can  any  rational  being  believe,  that  the  accidents  to  which 
the  host  may  be  liable,  can  happen  to  the  Son  of  God  ?  It 
can  be  carried  away  by  the  wind,  and  totally  disappear  ;  be 
devoured  by  an  animal,  a  mouse  or  a  cat ;  a  spider  can  be 
drowned  in  the  cup  ;  it  can  be  frozen,  fall  on  the  ground,  be 
vomited  by  the  priest,  piously  swallowed  up  again,  licked  up 
with  the  tongue  ;  and  the  wine  can,  if  poisoned,  be  poured  on 
linen  or  tow,  dried,  then  be  burned,  and  the  ashes  buried  in 


GIDEON    OUSELEY.  181 

holy  ground.  Now,  sir,  permit  me  to  ask,  can  you  believe 
the  doctrine  of  your  own  Church  ?  Can  any  man  in  his  senses 
believe  that  any  of  the  above  occurrences  take  place  in  regard 
to  the  true  Christ  ?"  The  priest  was  confounded,  and  said, 
"  True  enough,  sir  ;  a  great  many  people  think  that  all  things 
are  possible  to  God,  but  he  could  not  make  this  stick  in  my 
hand  without  two  ends  to  it,  nor  make  two  hills  without  a 
valley  between  them."  Thus  he  acknowledged  himself  van- 
quished, and  wisely  gave  up  the  contest.  On  a  subsequent 
visit  to  the  gentleman's  house  where  the  above  conversation 
took  place,  the  priest  said  :  "  These  Methodist  preachers  are 
queer  fellows  ;  I  declare,  I  did  not  think  they  were  such 
men."  "  But  what  do  you  think  of  your  own  argument, 
Father  Glin  ?"  said  one  to  him.  "  If  it  were  not  for  the  price 
of  bread,"  he  replied,  "  I  would  never  celebrate  mass  again 
as  long  as  I  live." 

Mr.  Ouseley,  however,  had  worse  foes  to  contend  with  than 
the  arguments  of  Romish  priests.  A  Romish  Irish  mob  is 
the  most  formidable  foe,  and  the  most  ferocious  enemy  that 
any  person  can  meet,  by  night  or  by  day.  A  tribe  of  North 
American  Indians  are  not  half  so  much  to  be  dreaded  by  the 
unfortunate  being  who  comes  in  contact  with  them,  as  the 
Irish  mob,  especially  where  whiskey  is  plenty,  and  shillelahs 
are  numerous.  On  the  next  day  but  one  after  the  above 
conversation  took  place,  as  Mr.  0.  was  passing  through 
Loughrea,  he  suddenly  stopped  his  horse,  and  said  to  his  com- 
panion, "  I  feel  as  if  the  atmosphere  was  crowded  with  devils  ; 
we'll  be  attacked  in  town;"  and  sure  enough,  scarcely  had 
they  made  their  appearance  in  the  main  street,  than  the 
crowd  who  were  in  attendance  at  the  market,  as  soon  as  they 
discovered  the  "  swaddlers,"  set  up  a  most  fiendish  yell,  as 
though  all  hell  had  broken  loose,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
pit  of  darkness  had  appeared,  to  re-act  on  earth  the  horrid 
tragedies  of  the  world  of  woe.     Abuse  and  execrations  of  the 


182  LIVES    OP    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

most  awful  kind  were  heaped  upon  them,  and  all  kinds  of 
missiles  were  flung  with  the  utmost  fury  at  their  heads.  Mr 
0.,  however,  was  protected  by  the  soldiery  of  the  place,  ana 
after  running  through  the  most  imminent  danger,  he  provi- 
dentially with  his  companion,  Mr.  O'Reilly,  escaped  unhurt. 
But  time  would  fail  to  relate  all  the  providential  escapes  of 
Mr.  Ouseley,  from  the  wrath  of  an  ignorant  populace,  who 
were  generally  instigated  to  their  deeds  of  hostility  by  the 
presence  and  commands  of  their  spiritual  advisers. 

At  the  Irish  Conference  of  1813,  Dr.  Coke  presided  for  the 
last  time.  He  was  on  the  eve  of  departing  for  India.  Mr. 
Ouseley  volunteered  his  services  to  accompany  the  Doctor, 
and  though  the  former  pleaded  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  for 
liberty  to  go,  and  the  latter  urged  the  Conference  to  grant 
leave,  yet  in  the  opinion  of  his  brethren,  his  services  could  not 
be  spared  from  the  Irish  missions,  and  he  was  reluctantly 
compelled  to  remain  at  home.  At  this  Conference,  he  was 
appointed  to  the  counties  of  Antrim  and  Londonderry,  where 
he  labored  for  several  years  with  great  success.  Not  being 
required,  however,  by  the  Conference,  to  confine  his  labors  to 
those  counties,  he  visited  difierent  parts  of  the  kingdom, 
meeting  in  some  places  with  respectful  treatment,  and  in 
others  narrowly  escaping  with  his  life,  from  the  violence  of 
the  popish  mobs.  In  the  course  of  his  travels,  while  on  this 
mission,  he  was  the  instrument  of  the  conversion  of  a  very 
devout  Romanist,  by  the  name  of  Rorke.  This  man,  while 
under  conviction,  went  to  several  priests,  to  inquire  what  he 
should  do  to  be  saved.  One  told  him  to  "  Go  to  Lough 
Derg ;"  another,  "Go  to  Lady's  Island  ;"  and  another,  "Re- 
ceive the  Lord's  body."  "  Do  you  think,"  said  Rorke  to  the 
latter,  "you  can  make  the  Lord's  body  for  me  ?"  "  I  have 
that  power,  Philip  ;  can  you  doubt  it  ?"  "  Please  your  rever- 
ence," said  Rorke,  "  I  have  two  little  hens,  but  no  cow ;  now 
if  you  can  turn  them  into  two  milch  cows  for  my  children,  to 


GIDEON    OUSELEY.  183 

give  us  milk,  I  shall  believe  then  that  you  have  the  power 
you  say."  "  Get  agone,  get  agone,"  said  the  priest,  and  left 
him  to  find  consolation  the  best  way  he  could. 

In  the  farther  relation  given  of  the  biography  of  Mr.  Ouse- 
ley,  it  would  be  pleasant  to  relate  his  frequent  conversations 
with  K-oman  priests,  or  other  champions  of  popery  who  fan- 
cied themselves  competent  to  defend  its  absurdities  ;  a  few  of 
these  only,  we  can  give.     On  one  occasion,  a  young  Roman- 
ist who  had  just  completed  his  studies  in  Maynooth  College, 
and  who  was  in  the  habit  of  assailing  Protestant  gentlemen, 
manifested  a  great  desire  to  meet  Mr.  Ouseley  in  controversy. 
An  opportunity  soon  ofiered   at  the  house  of  a  Protestant, 
where  there  was  a  large  company  present.    After  dinner,  the 
Romanist  introduced  his  favorite  theme,  and  soon  the  conver- 
sation turned  on  the   subject  of  transubstantiation,  the  Ro- 
manist asserting  that  Jesus  Christ  converted  the  bread  into 
his  own  body.     "  Did  not  our  blessed  Lord  eat  of  that  bread, 
and  drink  of  that  cup,  after  the  consecration?"  asked  Mr. 
Ouseley.     "Yes,"  was  the  reply.     "And  do  you  think  that 
he   ate   himself?"     "I   believe  he  did,"  replied   the  young- 
man.     "  Then,"  retorted  Mr.  Ouseley,  "  his  oiv7i  head  was  in 
his  own  mouth,  as  were  his  feet  and  his  whole  body,  and  so 
a  part  is  greater  than  the  whole  !     And  yet  his  feet  were  on 
the  ground  I  I"     The  company  present  laughed  immoderately 
at  the   absurd  idea,  and  the  young  collegian  acknowledged 
himself  vanquished. 

On  another  occasion  he  fell  in  with  a  young  woman  who 
was  a  bigoted  Romanist,  although  otherwise  a  very  interest- 
ing and  intelligent  person.  She  said  she  would  rather  be 
damned  than  become  a  Protestant.  Mr.  Ouseley  hearing  of 
her  sought  her  out,  and  said  to  her,  "  Biddy,  would  you  not 
rather  have  one  half-hour's  conversation  with  Jesus  Christ, 
who  is  to  judge  you,  than  if  all  the  clergy  on  earth — pope, 
priests,  preachers,  &c.,  were  to  talk  to  you  till  doomsday  ?" 


184  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

"Surely,  I  would,"  she  replied.  "But  had  he  so  conversed 
with  you,  would  you  not  be  afraid  of  forgetting  any  part  of  it ; 
and  would  you  not  on  your  knees  beg  of  him  to  give  it  to  you 
in  writing  ?"  "  Certainly,  I  would."  "  Now  if  he  gave  you 
that  writing,  would  you  not  put  it  in  your  very  bosom,  and 
read  it  night  and  day,  and  prefer  it  to  all  the  teachers  on 
earth,  nor  part  with  it  on  any  account  whatever  ?"  "  All  this 
is  true,  sir  :  I  most  certainly  would  not  part  with  it."  "  Then, 
Biddy,  you  have  this  very  thing  in  this  house, — the  New  Tes- 
tament. For  if  Jesus  Christ  were  now  to  come,  having  given 
the  Gospel  in  infinite  perfection  (and  the  Protestant  and  Ro- 
man Catholic  Testaments  are  in  substance  the  same),  he  would 
in  no  wise  alter  the  Gospel.  Hence  you  have  only  to  read 
and  obey  it,  and  all  shall  be  well.  But  there  is  a  practice  in 
your  religion  which  Christ  never  taught :  that  is  private  con- 
fession." He  then  explained  the  Scripture  in  relation  to  the 
woman  accused  of  wickedness,  and  showed  that  when  brought 
to  the  Saviour  he  said,  "  Neither  do  I  condemn  thee  ;  go  and 
sin  no  more."  "  You  see,  Biddy,"  said  Mr.  0.,  "  Christ  did 
not  confess  her,  nor  lay  penance  on  her.  Now  had  he  found 
an  apostle  confessing  the  woman,  and  laying  penance  on  her 
contrary  to  his  example,  what  would  become  of  such  an  apos- 
tle, unless  he  promised  never  to  do  so  again  ?  Or,  if  he  met 
you,  my  child,  going  to  such  confession,  and  should  say  to  you, 
'  Did  I  ever  teach  you  the  like  :  and  are  you  going  to  tell  the 
world  I  was  wrong  ?'  What  would  you  answer  ?  surely  you 
would  say,  '  Lord,  I  will  never  go  to  confession  again.'  "  The 
result  of  this  conversation  was,  that  "  Biddy"  never  went  to 
confession  again,  but  became  a  faithful  and  worthy  member- 
of  the  Methodist  Society,  notwithstanding  the  priest's  bitter 
opposition  to  her ;  and  through  her  means,  her  parents  were 
both  subsequently  converted  and  also  united  with  the  Meth- 
odists. 

While  travelling  in  the  county  of  Wexford,  he  rode  into  a 


GIDEON    OUSELEY.  185 

town  on  the  Sabbath  for  the  purpose  of  preaching,  and  as  is 
customary  in  Ireland,  after  mass  large  numbers  of  the  Cath- 
olic congregation  were  engaged  near  the  Roman  Chapel  in 
playing  ball,  gambling,  drinking,  &c.  Mr.  Ouseley  with  holy 
indignation,  went  immediately  to  the  priest,  and  said  :  "  Are 
not  you,  sir,  the  pastor  of  Christ's  flock?"  "Indeed,  I  am, 
sir,"  replied  the  priest.  "Then  why  do  you  not  turn  out  the 
unruly  ones,  according  to  the  command  of  Christ  our  Lord  ?" 
"  Lord  help  me,"  said  the  priest,  "  if  I  turn  out  these,  I'll  have 
none  at  all."  "  Better  for  you  to  have  none  at  all,  or  have  only 
three,  and  have  such  a  church  as  Christ  and  his  apostles 
founded,  than  have  the  whole  countryside  of  such  fellows." 
"  Trne  for  you,  sir ;  but  Lord  have  mercy  on  us,  what  shall 
we  do  for  the  bit  of  bread?"  Mr.  0.  then  referred  to  the 
impious  lives  of  some  of  the  popes,  and  showed  the  absurdity 
of  considerinfj  them  as  the  head  of  Christ's  true  flock.  "  True 
enough  for  you,"  said  the  priest,  "there's  their  lives  on  the 
table  there."  After  Mr.  0.  withdrew,  the  priest's  coadjutor 
came  in  and  said  :  "  So  you  have  had  that  heresiarch  Ouseley 
here."  The  priest  replied,  "Get  you  gone,  sir;  Mr.  Ouseley 
is  a  gentleman  and  a  scholar,  sir ;  what  you  are  not.  You 
dare  not  open  your  mouth,  sir,  if  he  were  present."  It  is  wor- 
thy of  record,  that  when  this  priest  (who  evidently  loved 
Ouseley),  was  breathing  his  last  he  cried  out :  "  0  Mr.  Ouse- 
ley !  Mr.  Ouseley !" 

We  have  thus  given  a  few  specimens  of  Mr.  Ouseley's  con- 
versational powers,  and  of  the  good  eflects  which  seemed  to 
follow  his  personal  labors  in  this  direction.  We  might  fill 
the  space  allotted  to  this  chapter  with  various  other  anecdotes 
and  incidents  as  connected  with  his  long  and  useful  life. 

From  the  Conference  of  1813,  to  the  close  of  his  life  in 
1839,  Mr.  Ouseley  continued  in  his  work  of  laboring  for  the 
salvation  of  his  countrymen.  He  not  only  visited  all  parts  of 
Ireland  repeatedly,  but  made  frequent  visits  to  Englau^  ^md 


186  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

Scotland  for  the  same  'purpose,  and  in  each  of  those  kingdoms 
he  preached  to  overwhelming  congregations.  Dnring  his  days 
and  hours  of  sickness,  his  mind  was  always  active,  and  many 
valuable  thoughts  dropped  from  his  pen  during  his  seasons  of 
confinement  to  his  room.  Letters,  strictures,  reviews,  discus- 
sions, &c.,  owed  their  existence  to  his  leisure  hours  while  sick. 
After  a  long  and  useful  life  he  closed  his  earthly  career  in 
the  city  of  Dublin,  on  the  14th  day  of  May,  in  the  year  1839. 
His  remains  were  deposited  in  Mount  Jerome  Cemetery,  Har- 
old's Cross.  Mr.  Ouseley's  last  sickness  was  of  about  three 
weeks'  duration,  and  during  this  time  he  was  perfectly  resign- 
ed to  the  will  of  heaven.  His  last  words  were  :  "I  have  no 
fear  of  death  ;  the  Spirit  of  God  sustains  ;  God  is  my  support." 
May  our  "  last  end,  be  like  his." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

BISHOP    ASBURY. 

Francis  Asbury,  the  subject  of  the  following  sketch,  was 
born  in  the  parish  of  Harrodsworth,  about  four  miles  from 
Birmingham,  England,  on  the  20lh  or  21st  of  August,  1745. 
His  parents,  though  belonging  to  the  humbler  class  of  English 
society,  were  honest  and  industrious,  and  were  able  to  procure 
a  comfortable  maintenance  for  themselves  and  family.  They 
had  but  two  children,  a  son  and  daughter,  and  as  the  latter 
died  while  in  infancy,  Francis  was  left  as  the  only  child  of 
his  parents.  At  an  early  age,  he  was  sent  to  school,  where 
he  remained  till  about  thirteen  years  of  age.  Having  receiv- 
ed rather  rough  treatment  from  his  teacher,  he  at  the  above 
age,  preferred  leaving  school  and  learning  a  trade,  at  which 
he  continued  till  he  was  nearly  twenty  years  of  age. 

Soon  after  his  apprenticeship  commenced,  he  was  awakened 
to  a  sense  of  his  sinfulness  by  nature,  through  the  conversa- 
tion and  prayers  of  a  pious  man,  with  whom  he  became  asso- 
ciated. The  effect  of  such  awakening,  was,  that  he  immedi- 
ately began  to  pray  morning  and  evening,  and  not  relishing 
the  cold  formal  sermons  of  his  own  parish  minister,  he  visited 
other  parish  churches  for  the  purpose  of  listening  to  men  who 
were  more  evangelical  and  zealous  in  the  cause  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Shortly  after  his  awakening,  he  heard  of  the  Meth- 
odists, and  on  inquiring  of  his  mother,  who,  where,  and  what 
they  were,  she  directed  him  to  a  person,  who  would  take  him 


188  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

to  Wediiestury  to  see  them.  On  repairing  thither,  he  found 
that  the  Methodists  were  not  "  the  Church,"  but  to  him  some- 
thing better.  The  people  seemed  devout, — men  and  women 
kneehng  down  and  saying  :  "  Amen  !"  Then  singing  hymns! 
And  stranger  still  the  preacher  had  no  prayer-book,  and  yet 
prayed  wonderfully!  He  took  his  text,  and  preached,  and 
yet  had  no  sermon-book !  This  was  all  new  and  wonderful 
to  Francis,  who  never  had  seen  it  in  this  fashion  before.  The 
preacher  talked  about  confidence,  assurance,  &c.  &c.,  to  all 
of  which  Francis  was  a  stranger,  and  led  him  still  further  to 
see  his  lost  condition  while  out  of  Christ,  and  prompted  him 
to  seek  earnestly  for  pardon  at  the  hand  of  God. 

Shortly  after  this,  while  engaged  with  a  companion  in 
praying,  in  his  father's  barn,  the  Lord  pardoned  his  sins,  and 
justified  his  soul.  He  soon  felt  it  to  be  his  duty,  young  as 
he  was,  in  age  and  experience,  to  hold  meetings  for  reading 
and  prayer.  He  also  ventured  occasionally  to  exhort  the  peo- 
ple to  repentance,  and  some  professed  to  find  peace  in  behev- 
ing  through  his  instrumentality.  He  subsequently  became  a 
local  preacher  in  the  Wesleyan  connection,  which  relation  he 
sustained  nearly  five  years,  when,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one, 
he  gave  himself  wholly  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  under  the 
direction  of  Mr.  Wesley.  After  officiating  about  five  years 
more  as  a  travelling  preacher  in  England,  when  a  call  having 
been  made  by  Mr.  Wesley,  at  the  Bristol  Conference  in  August, 
1771,  for  laborers  to  volunteer  for  the  American  continent, 
Mr.  Asbury  at  once  offered  himself  for  the  work,  and  was  ac- 
cepted. At  the  close  of  Conference  he  hastened  home  to  in- 
form his  parents  of  his  design,  and  although  he  had  one  of 
the  most  tender  mothers,  she  interposed  no  obstacles  in  his 
way,  but  freely  gave  him  up  to  the  cause  of  God  and  of  uni- 
versal Methodism. 

Having  formed,  while  a  local  and  travelling  preacher,  an 
extensive  acquaintance  among  the  good  people  of  Staffordshire, 


BISHOP    ASBURY.  189 

Warwickshire,  and  Gloucestershire,  had  felt  it  his  duty  also  to 
visit  them  before  his  departure.  Many  of  these  friends  won- 
dered at  the  moral  heroism  of  the  young  man,  who  could 
thus  consent  to  leave  his  "  happy  home  and  happy  country, 
far  in  distant  lands  to  dwell,"  but  none  opposed  him  in  his 
undertaking,  no  doubt  believing  that  it  was  a  call  of  Provi- 
dence. Having  thus  made  a  flying  visit  to  different  parts  of 
England,  he  returned  to  Bristol  in  the  latter  part  of  August, 
where  he  found  Mr.  Richard  Wright — who  had  also  been  ap- 
pointed to  America — awaiting  his  arrival,  that  they  might 
sail  together.  So  very  little  money  had  Mr.  Asbury  laid  up 
during  his  ministerial  labors  in  England,  that  when  he  arrived 
in  Bristol  he  had  not  a  penny  of  money  in  his  pocket ;  but  the 
Lord  soon  opened  the  hearts  of  his  friends,  who  supplied  him 
with  comfortable  clothing,  and  ten  pounds  in  money 

On  the  2d  day  of  September,  Mr.  Asbury  and  his  colleague, 
Mr.  Wright,  set  sail  from  a  port  near  Bristol,  and  after  find- 
ing himself  on  the  wide  expansive  ocean,  the  former  began 
strictly  to  examine  his  motives  in  going  to  America.  He  in- 
quires :  "Whither  am  I  going  ?  To  the  new  world.  What 
to  do  ?  To  gain  honor  ?  No  ;  if  I  know  my  own  heart.  To 
get  money  ?  No,  I  am  going  to  live  to  God,  and  bring  others 
so  to  do.  In  America,  there  has  been  a  work  of  God  :  some 
moving  first  among  the  Friends,  but  in  time  it  declined  : 
likewise  by  the  Presbyterians,  but  among  them  also  it  declined. 
The  people  God  owns  in  England  are  the  Methodists.  The 
doctrines  they  preach,  and  the  discipline  they  enforce  are,  I 
believe,  the  purest  of  any  people  now  in  the  world.  The 
Lord  has  greatly  blessed  these  doctrines  and  this  discipline  in 
the  three  kingdoms  ;  they  must,  therefore,  be  pleasing  to  him. 
If  God  does  not  acknowledge  me  in  America,  I  will  soon  re- 
turn to  England.  I  know  my  views  are  upright  now — may 
they  never  be  otherwise  !" 

After  a  pleasant  voyage  of  five  weeks,  the  two  missionaries 


190  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

landed  in  Philadelphia,  and  were  cordially  received  by  the 
people,  as  also  hy  Mr.  Pilmore,  who  was  then  stationed  in 
that  city.  After  spending  a  few  days  with  them,  Mr.  Asbury 
left  for  the  city  of  New  York,  where  he  arrived  on  the  12th 
of  November,  and  on  the  next  day  preached  in  John-street 
church,  from  the  text,  "  I  determined  7iot  to  know  anything 
among  you,  save  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified.'"  In 
New  York  he  found  Mr.  Boardman,  the  colleague  of  Mr.  Pil- 
more, and  was  as  kindly  received  by  the  former  as  by  the  latter. 

Hitherto,  the  labors  of  Messrs.  Pilmore  and  Boardman — 
who,  previously  to  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Asburj',  were  the  only 
Methodist  missionaries  in  America — had  been  confined  almost 
exclusively  to  the  cities  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia.  The 
number  of  Methodists  in  New  York  at  this  time,  was  three 
hundred  ;  in  Philadelphia,  two  hundred  and  fifty  ;  and  a  few 
in  Maryland,  gathered  under  the  labors  of  Mr.  Robert  Straw- 
bridge,  a  local  preacher,  the  whole  amounting  to  about  six 
hundred  souls.  Mr.  Asbury  resolved,  however,  not  to  confine 
his  labors  to  the  city,  but  to  make  excursions  into  the  country 
places,  for  the  purpose  of  preaching  Christ  to  the  inhabitants. 
Accordingly,  he  soon  after  made  excursions  to  West  Farms, 
and  Westchester,  as  also  to  Rye,  New  Rochelle,  and  Staten 
Island,  and  in  all  these  places  he  was  hailed  as  the  messenger 
of  God,  and  had  great  success  among  the  people,  although 
sometimes  called  to  sufier  persecution  among  the  rabble. 

In  December,  1772,  Mr.  Asbury  went  into  Kent  County, 
in  Maryland.  On  one  occasion,  before  preaching,  a  minister 
of  the  English  Church  came  to  him,  desiring  to  know  who  he 
was,  and  whether  he  was  licensed.  Mr.  A.  told  him  his 
name,  and  that  he  was  regularly  licensed  as  a  Methodist 
preacher.  The  minister  began  to  speak  great  swelling  words, 
and  said  he  had  authority  over  the  people,  and  was  charged 
with  the  care  of  their  souls.  He  said  also,  that  Mr.  Asbury 
could  not,  and  should  not  preach  :  and  if  he  attempted  it,  he 


BISHOP    ASBURY.  191 

shoula  proceed  against  him  according  to  law,  Mr.  A.  gave 
him  to  understand  that  he  had  come  to  Maryland  for  the  ex- 
press purpose  of  preaching,  and  preach  he  would  ;  he  further 
asked  the  reverend  gentleman  if  he  had  authority  to  bind  the 
consciences  of  the  people,  or  if  he  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  ? 
Tiie  clergyman  replied,  by  accusing  him  of  making  a  schism. 
Mr.  A.  retorted  by  saying,  that  he  did  not  draw  people  from 
the  church.  The  minister  said  that  he  kept  people  from  their 
work.  Mr.  A.  inquired  if  fairs  and  horse-races  did  not  hinder 
them  from  their  work  ?  and  informed  the  gentleman  that  he 
had  come  to  help,  instead  of  to  hinder  him  from  doing  good  to 
the  people.  "  I  did  not  hire  you  for  an  assistant,  nor  do  I 
want  your  help,"  replied  the  clergyman.  Mr.  A.  rejoined  by 
saying,  that  if  there  were  no  swearers  or  other  sinners,  he  was 
sufficient.  "  But  Avhat  do  you  come  for  ?"  asked  the  minister. 
"To  turn  sinners  to  God,"  said  Mr.  A.  "But  cannot  I  do 
that,  as  well  as  you  ?"  Mr.  A.  replied,  by  stating  that  he, 
Mr.  A.,  had  authority  from  God  to  preach  the  gospel.  The 
clergyman  laughed  him  in  the  face,  and  said,  "  You  are  a  fine 
fellow,  indeed  I"  Mr.  Asbury,  not  to  be  intimidated  by 
such  clerical  insolence,  began  to  preach,  and  call  on  the  peo- 
ple to  repent,  and  turn  from  all  their  transgressions,  so  that 
iniquity  should  not  prove  their  ruin.  The  poor  parson  could 
only  give  vent  to  his  rage,  by  cautioning  the  people  against 
coming  to  hear  Mr.  Asbury.  But  in  spite  of  all  such  treat- 
ment, the  people  came  out  to  hear  the  word,  and  many  of 
them  received  it  into  good  and  honest  hearts. 

From  the  above  circumstance,  the  reader  can  perceive  the 
manner  in  which  Mr.  Asbury  and  his  colleagues  in  the  mis- 
sionary work,  were  received  by  those  who  would  monopolize 
the  cure  of  souls,  and  who  claimed  to  be,  by  divine  right,  in 
the  succession  from  the  apostles  ;  but  all  these  things  moved 
not  Mr.  Asbury,  who  in  the  midst  of  opposition  kept  steadily 
onward  in  the  pursuance  of  his  great  work  of  saving  souls. 


192  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

In  October,  1772,  Mr.  Asbury  received  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Wesley,  appointing  him  as  the  General  Assistant,  or  Super- 
intendent of  all  the  preachers  and  Societies  in  America,  and 
requiring  a  strict  attention  to  all  the  rules  of  the  Society,  both 
as  it  regarded  preachers  and  people.  As  yet,  no  annual  Con- 
ference had  been  held,  but  the  interchange  of  preachers  ap- 
pears to  have  been  determined  upon  by  mutual  consent,  at 
the  quarterly  meeting  conferences,  which  at  that  time  were 
but  three  or  four  in  number.  At  one  of  these  meetings,  held 
in  Maryland,  Dec.  23d,  1772,  the  preachers  were  regularly 
assigned  their  respective  fields  of  labor,  by  Mr.  Asbury,  him- 
self remaining  in  Baltimore,  and  occasionally  extending  his 
visits  to  the  regions  round  about,  everywhere  being  received 
as  the  messenger  of  God,  and  everywhere  "  making  full  proof 
of  his  ministry." 

In  June,  1773,  Messrs.  Rankin  and  Shadford  arrived  in 
Philadelphia,  from  England,  having  been  sent  over  by  Mr. 
Wesley  to  reinforce  the  small  number  of  preachers  in  Ameri- 
ca. As  Mr.  Rankin  was  Mr.  Asbury's  senior,  both  in  age 
and  ministerial  standing,  it  seemed  good  to  Mr.  Wesley  to 
appoint  the  former  in  the  place  of  Mr.  Asbury,  to  the  office 
of  General  Assistant,  and  giving  him  power  also  to  call  the 
preachers  together  in  an  annual  Conference.  Accordingly, 
on  the  4th  day  of  July,  1773,  the  first  regular  Conference 
ever  held  in  America,  met  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  It 
was  composed  of  ten  preachers,  and  the  number  in  the  So- 
cieties are  reported  to  have  been  1160.  At  this  Confer- 
ence, Mr.  Asbury  was  re-appointed  to  Baltimore,  where  he 
labored  efficiently,  extending  as  opportunity  offered,  his 
travels  into  other  portions  of  Maryland.  During  this  year, 
he  assisted  in  the  erection  of  a  Methodist  church  in  Balti- 
more, since  known  by  the  name  of  Light-street  Church.  In 
1774,  Mr.  Asbury  was  appointed  to  New  York  and  Philadel- 
phia cities,  in  connection  with  Mr.  Rankin,  each  of  them 


BISHOP    ASBURT.  193 

being  required  to  change  alternately,  once  in  three  months. 
It  appears,  however,  from  Mr.  Asbury's  jom'nal,  that  he  was 
not  confined  to  those  two  places  during  this  year,  but  that  he 
travelled  extensively  in  all  the  region  of  country  aroimd 
those  cities,  preaching  the  Gospel  and  raising  Societies  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  wide  field.  His  labors,  in  fact,  were  so 
extensive,  that  he  seriously  injured  his  health,  and  was  for  a 
length  of  time  confined  to  his  bed.  In  1775,  he  was  appointed 
to  Norfolk,  Va.,  where  he  found  about  thirty  persons  only  in 
Society,  without  any  place  of  worship,  except  an  old  shattered 
playhouse.  He,  however,  persuaded  the  "feeble  few"  to  at- 
tempt the  erection  of  a  church,  which  they  finally  succeeded 
in  doing. 

It  appears  by  reference  to  Asbury's  journal,  that  a  difier- 
ence  of  opinion  obtained  between  him  and  Mr.  Rankin,  in 
relation  to  the  proper  administration  of  discipline.  The  latter 
gentleman  was  not  only  a  strict,  but  a  severe  disciplinarian, 
so  much  so,  that  his  appointment  by  Mr.  Wesley,  as  General 
Superintendent,  did  not  give  very  great  satisfaction  to  either 
the  preachers  or  people.  Mr.  Asbury  was  also  a  strict  en- 
forcer of  the  rules  of  discipline,  but  without  that  severity 
which  characterized  the  administration  of  Mr.  Rankin.  Hence 
these  gentlemen  had  their  particular  friends  and  adherents, 
and  although  Mr.  Asbury  does  not  appear  to  have  interfered 
with  the  proper  administration  of  discipline  by  Mr.  Rankin, 
the  latter  could  not  but  perceive  that  the  affections  of  the 
preachers  and  people  were  placed  more  fully  on  Mr.  Asbury 
than  on  himself  The  knowledge  of  this  fact  led  Mr.  Rankin 
to  suppose  that  Mr.  A.  might  have  used  undue  means  to  sup- 
plant him  in  the  affections  of  the  people,  if  not  to  remove  him 
from  his  official  position  as  General  Assistant.  In  accordance, 
therefore,  with  these  surmisings — and  they  were  nothing 
more,  having  no  other  foundation  than  jealousy  to  build 
upon — Mr.  Rankin  wrote  to  Mr.  Wesley,  and  in  some  raan- 

13 


194  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

ner  not  precisely  known,  misrepresented  Mr.  Asbiiry's  conduct 
and  motives,  to  the  father  of  Methodism.  These  misrepre- 
sentations appear,  for  the  time  being,  to  have  had  the  desired 
efiect  on  Mr.  Wesley's  mind ;  so  much  so,  as  to  lead  him  to 
desire  Mr.  Asbury's  return  to  England,  and  in  reference  to 
his  expected  return,  he  writes  to  Mr.  E..,  saying  :  "  I  doubt 
not  but  brother  Asbury  and  you  will  part  friends.  I  shall  hope 
to  see  him  at  Conference  (in  England).  He  is  quite  an  up- 
right man,  I  apprehend  he  will  go  through  his  work  more 
cheerfully  when  he  is  within  a  little  distance  from  me." 
From  this,  it  appears  that  Mr.  A.  had  been  desired  to  return 
immediately,  as  the  letter  is  dated  May  19th,  1775,  and  the 
English  Conference  would  assemble  in  about  two  months 
thereafter,  at  which  time  Mr.  Wesley  hoped  to  see  him.  Mr. 
Asbury,  however,  did  not  return,  and  we  find  Mr.  Wesley,  in 
a  letter  dated  July  28,  1775,  "rejoicing  over  honest  Francis 
Asbury,  and  hoping  he  will  no  more  enter  into  temptation." 

Shortly  after  this  correspondence,  the  ever  memorable  war 
of  the  Revolution  began,  which  rendered  the  situation  of  some 
of  the  leading  preachers  unpleasant  in  the  extreme.  This 
was  particularly  the  case  with  Messrs.  Rankin  and  Asbury, 
the  former  of  whom,  soon  after  the  issuing  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  July  4,  1776,  resolved  to  return  to  Eng- 
land. He,  however,  deferred  his  departure  until  September, 
1777.  Mr.  Asbury  resolved,  however,  to  remain  true  to  the 
cause  of  American  Methodism,  and  "  not  to  depart  from  the 
work  on  any  consideration."  In  thus  resolving,  Mr.  Asbury 
placed  himself  in  imminent  peril,  arising  from  the  fact  that 
one  of  the  preachers — an  Englishman  by  the  name  of  Rodda 
— had  so  far  forgotten  his  calling  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel, 
as  to  become  a  warm  partisan  and  friend  of  royalty,  and  was 
even  detected  in  reading  the  King's  proclamation  while  dis- 
charging his  duties  on  his  circuit.  This  one  circumstance 
was  sufficient  to  awaken  jealousy  in  regard  to  the  political  in- 


BISHOP    ASBURY.  195 

tegrity  of  other  Methodist  preachers,  and  particularly  of  those 
from  England  :  hence  tliey  were  not  even  permitted  to  preach 
in  many  places,  and  Mr.  Asbury,  who  was  always  exceeding- 
ly guarded  in  reference  to  his  expressions  of  political  prefer- 
ence, was,  at  the  beginning  of  hostilities,  fined  five  pounds  at 
or  near  Baltimore,  for  no  other  crime  than  preaching  the 
Gospel.  Still,  however,  he  kept  on  discharging  his  duty  as  a 
minister  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

At  this  time,  it  was  enacted  by  the  several  State  Legisla- 
tive Assemblies,  that  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  State  au- 
thorities should  be  taken  by  all  the  inhabitants  residing  within 
their  respective  jurisdictions.  Mr.  Asbury  had  no  objection 
to  the  oath  of  allegiance,  but  had  conscientious  scruples  about 
taking  the  one  prescribed  by  the  State  of  Maryland,  in  which 
State  he  was  then  residing.  In  consequence  of  this  refusal, 
Mr.  Asbury  was  threatened  with  imprisonment  as  a  "tory," 
and  was  obliged  to  retire  into  the  State  of  Delaware,  where 
he  found  a  quiet  and  pleasant  asylum  at  the  residence  of 
Judge  White,  a  man  of  great  influence  in  that  State,  and 
where  he  remained  in  a  state  of  partial  concealment  for  near- 
ly a  year,  until  the  height  of  the  political  tempest  had  passed 
away.  But  even  here,  Mr.  Asbury  did  not  pass  his  time  in 
idleness  ;  for  although  he  could  not  with  propriety  address  a 
public  congregation  on  the  Sabbath,  yet  he  would  visit  from 
house  to  house,  and  was  probably  instrumental  in  doing  as 
much  good  as  he  possibly  could  have  done  by  more  public 
labors.  While  in  this  state  of  seclusion,  the  Conference  of 
1779  met  at  the  house  of  Judge  White,  aiid  as  Mr.  Rankin 
had  left  for  England,  and  no  successor  had  been  appointed  as 
yet  by  Mr.  Wesley,  the  Conference,  by  vote,  chose  Mr.  As- 
bury as  the  General  Assistant,  which  station  he  afterward 
filled  by  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Wesley  himself,  in  1782. 
During  the  next  year  (1783),  peace  was  declared  between 
Great  Britain  and  her  hitherto  rebellious  colonies  in  America ; 


196  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

and  after  a  long  and  severe  struggle,  the  independence  of 
these  United  States  was  secured,  and  acknowledged  ;  and 
strange  as  it  may  appear  to  many,  the  cause  of  Methodism, 
instead  of  having  become  defunct  during  the  din  and  confu- 
sion of  war,  and  by  the  departure  of  some  of  the  preachers 
and  the  imprisonment  of  others,  the  Society  had  increased 
during  the  struggle,  from  3,148  members,  to  14,986.  The 
number  of  preachers  had  also  increased,  so  that  in  1783,  there 
were  no  less  than  eighty-three  appointed  by  Mr.  Asbury,  to 
different  fields  of  labor. 

The  year  1784,  forms  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  Ameri- 
can Methodism.  Hitherto  the  Methodists  had  been  regarded 
as  members  of  the  Church  of  England,  but  now  it  became 
necessary  to  acquire  an  organization  of  their  own,  especially 
as  the  Church  of  England  had  lost  its  ecclesiastical  jurisdic- 
tion over  its  churches  in  America,  and  these  latter  had  not  as 
yet  acquired  an  independent  existence.  The  consequence 
was,  that  there  were  very  few  ordained  Episcopal  clergjaTaen 
in  America,  and  the  majority  of  those  who  were  ordained, 
were  by  no  means  qualified,  either  by  grace  or  morality,  to 
administer  the  ordinances  of  the  Church — even  if  they  had 
been  willing  to  do  so — to  the  Methodists.  Besides,  not  a  sin- 
gle Methodist  preacher  in  America  had  been  ordained,  and 
thus  the  fifteen  thousand  members,  and  the  fifty  or  sixty 
thousand  adherents  of  Methodism,  with  their  families,  were 
deprived  of  the  administration  of  the  ordinances  of  the  Church, 
particularly  Christian  baptism.  True,  a  few  of  the  preachers 
in  the  more  southern  portions  of  the  United  States  had,  with- 
out ordination,  ventured  in  view  of  the  seeming  necessities  of 
the  case,  to  administer  the  ordinances  of  baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper ;  but  these  administrations,  by  Mr.  Asbury, 
Mr.  Wesley,  and  the  great  body  of  the  American  preachers, 
were  held  to  be  irregular,  and  were  consequently  abandoned. 
Meanwhile,  constant  applications  were  being  made  for  relief, 


BISHOP    ASBURY.  107 

to  Mr.  Wesley,  as  the  acknowledged  father  of  Methodism ; 
and  he,  after  due  deliberation  and  prayer,  set  apart  Dr.  Coke 
as  a  Bishop,  and  gave  him  authority  to  proceed  to  America 
and  organize  the  Societies  in  that  country  into  an  Episcopal 
Church,  and  also  to  ordain  Mr.  Asbury  as  Joint  Superintend- 
ent, or  Bishop  of  the  same.  Accordingly,  Dr.  Coke,  in  com- 
pliance with  his  instructions,  proceeded  at  once  to  America, 
and  on  the  25th  day  of  December,  1784,  organized  the  Metho- 
dist Societies  into  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the 
United  States,  and  ordained  Mr.  Asbury  first  as  deacon,  then 
as  elder  or  presbyter,  and  finally  as  a  superintendent,  or 
bishop. 

Does  the  bigot,  or  the  stickler  for  the  exploded  dogma  of 
apostolic  succession,  inquire  if  Mr.  Wesley  had  authority  to 
confer  Episcopal  consecration  on  Dr.  Coke  ?  We  answer,  he 
had  ;  first,  because  he  was  as  truly  a  scriptural  bishop  as  any 
man  in  England  ;  and  secondly,  because  he  was  more  than  a 
bishop — he  was  in  a  high  sense  an  apostle,  and  gave  greater 
evidence  of  his  call  to  the  apostleship,  than  the  Bishop  of 
London  ever  gave  of  his  call  to  the  Episcopacy.  Wherein, 
we  ask,  did  John  Wesley  fail  to  show  the  true  signs  of  an 
apostle  ?  Was  an  apostle  sent  and  commissioned  by  Jesus 
Christ  to  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them,  &c.  ?  And  did  not 
Mr.  Wesley  receive  such  a  commission  ?  Did  an  apostle 
give  evidence  of  the  divinity  of  his  call  by  the  success  attend- 
ing his  labors  ?  And  did  not  Wesley  the  same  ?  Let  the 
seventy  thousand  Methodists  in  Great  Britain,  besides  the 
thousands  in  America,  and  in  other  portions  of  the  earth,  at 
the  time  of  his  decease,  answer  this  question.  If  success  is  to 
be  considered  as  an  element  in  the  evidence  of  a  divine  call 
to  the  apostleship,  surely  Mr.  Wesley,  more  than  any  one 
man  since  the  apostles'  time,  has  furnished  such  proof  of  an 
extraordinary  call  ;  and  had  he  never  been  ordained  by  the 
English  Episcopacy,  yet  had  the  same  success  attended  his 


198  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

labors,  we  should  not  have  hesitated  to  acknowledge  his  au- 
thority as  a  divinely  commissioned  legate  of  the  skies.  But 
aside  from  these  considerations,  Mr.  Wesley  was  in  duty 
bound  to  provide  the  word  of  life  and  the  ordinances  of  the 
Gospel  for  these  poor  sheep  in  the  wilderness,  for  whose  souls 
none  of  the  ecclesiastical  dignitaries  of  the  Church  of  England 
seemed  to  care. 

It  was  under  these  circumstances,  that  Mr.  Asbury  was  set 
apart  to  the  episcopacy, — an  event  which  more  than  any  other 
conspired  to  the  permanent  establishment  and  success  of 
Methodism  in  America.  Before  we  proceed  in  our  narrative 
of  events  as  connected  with  the  biography  of  Bishop  Asbury, 
it  may  be  proper  to  observe  that,  although  Mr.  Wesley  or- 
dained Dr.  Coke  to  the  episcopacy,  and  ordered  the  ordina- 
tion of  Mr.  Asbury  to  the  same  office,  yet  he  did  not  design 
the  application  of  the  term  bishojJ,  to  these  newly  created 
ejnscojjoi.  The  term  preferred,  and  employed  by  Mr.  Wes- 
ley, was  the  simple  one  of  superinte7ident.  This  term  was 
selected  in  preference  to  the  other,  because  of  the  enormous 
abuses  which  had  existed  in  the  Church,  in  connection  with 
the  title  bishop.  Besides,  the  name  itself  was  associated  in 
Mr.  Wesley's  mind  Avith  all  the  grandeur  and  pomposity  of 
modern  prelates,  and  for  this  latter  reason  he  strongly  ob- 
jected to  its  use  among  his  preachers,  as  applied  to  any  one 
of  their  brethren  ;  and  for  the  same  reason  he  disapproved  of 
the  employment  of  the  term  priest  or  presbyter,  as  applied  to 
an  ordained  elder  in  the  Methodist  Church  ;  as  also  of  the 
use  of  the  term  college,  when  applied  to  a  literary  institution 
of  the  highest  grade,  preferring  as  he  did,  the  more  modest 
and  unassuming  appellation  o{  school. 

We  deem  it  necessary  to  make  these  remarks  preparatory 
to  the  introduction  of  a  letter,  written  by  Mr.  Wesley,  to  Bishop 
Asbury,  in  the  year  1788,  after  the  title  bishop  began  to  be 
«*enerally  employed  by  the  preachers,  in  their  addresses  to  tho 


BISHOP    ASBURT.  199 

bishops.  The  letter  referred  to,  was  dated  London,  Sept.  20, 
1788,  and  contains  the  following  words,  which  we  give  as  an 
extract : — "  But  in  one  point,  my  dear  brother,  I  am  a  little 
afraid  both  you  and  the  doctor  difier  from  me.  I  study  to  be 
little  ;  you  study  to  be  great :  I  creep  ;  you  %trut  along.  I 
found  a  s,clwol ;  you  a  college  I  Nay,  and  call  it  after  your 
own  names.  0,  beware  I  Do  not  seek  to  be  something. 
Let  me  be  nothing,  and  Christ  be  all  in  all. 

' '  One  instance  of  this,  your  greatness,  has  given  me  graat 
concern.  How  can  you,  how  dare  you  suffer  yourself  to  be 
called  a  bishojo  ?  I  shudder  and  start  at  the  very  thought ! 
Men  may  call  me  a  knave  or  a  fool,  a  rascal,  a  scoundrel,  and 
I  am  content ;  but  they  shall  never,  by  my  consent,  call 
me  a  bishop.  For  my  sake,  for  God's  sake,  for  Christ's  sake, 
put  a  full  end  to  this." 

We  have  thus  given,  in  Mr.  Wesley's  own  words,  his  ob- 
jection to  the  use  of  the  title  bishop,  by  Mr.  Asbury,  or  Dr. 
Coke ;  and  these  words  afford  sufficient  evidence  that  Mr. 
Wesley,  while  he  disapproved  of  the  name  bishop,  was  not 
opposed  to  the  office  itself.  Whatever  fears  may  have  dis- 
posed Mr.  Wesley  to  oppose  the  assumption  of  the  title,  yet 
the  history  of  the  Church  since  that  period,  and  especially  the 
history  of  the  worthy  men  who  have  .since  then  filled  the 
episcopal  chair,  prove  the  falsity  of  these  fears,  and  the  pro- 
priety of  adopting  the  title. 

After  his  consecration  to  the  episcopacy.  Bishop  Asbury  be- 
gan a  series  of  labors  and  travels  which  have  rendered  his 
name  immortal,  and  which  have  fully  entitled  him  to  the  ap- 
pell ation  of  Apostle  of  America^i  Methodism.  He  first  direct- 
ed his  attention  to  the  founding  of  a  Methodist  College.  Be- 
ing joined,  in  this  important  enterprise,  by  Dr.  Coke,  they 
soon  succeeded  in  collecting  a  sufficient  amount  by  subscrip- 
tions and  donations,  to  warrant  the  erection  of  a  noble  brick 
edifice,  one  hundred  and  eight  feet  long  by  forty  wide,  in  the 


200  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

town  of  Abingdon,  Va.,  about  twenty-five  miles  from  Balti- 
more. In  December,  1787,  the  college  was  solemnly  dedica 
ted  by  Bishop  Asbury,  to  the  service  of  God,  and  of  religions 
knowledge.  In  ten  years  afterward,  the  college  was  destroy- 
ed by  fire.  A  second  college  was  secured  in  the  city  of  Bal- 
timore, but  like  the  former,  it  soon  perished  in  the  flames. 
Mr.  Asbury,  although  the  friend  of  sound  education,  appears 
to  have  become  discouraged  about  making  any  further  at- 
tempts to  secure  the  erection  of  collegiate  edifices. 

In  1788,  Bishop  Asbury  crossed  the  Alleghany  Mountains, 
and  as  an  illustration  of  the  mode  in  which  this  modern  bishop 
"strutted"  through  the  world,  we  will  give  his  own  account 
of  his  journey  :  "  We  had  to  cross  the  Alleghany  Mountains 
again,  at  a  bad  passage.  Our  course  lay  over  mountains,  and 
through  valleys,  and  the  mud  and  mire  was  such  as  might 
scarcely  be  expected  in  December.  We  came  to  an  old  for- 
saken habitation  in  Tygers  Valley  :  here  our  horses  grazed 
while  we  boiled  our  meat :  midnight  brought  us  up  at  Jones', 
after  riding  forty,  or  perhaps  fifty  miles.  The  old  man,  our 
host,  was  kind  enough  to  wake  us  up  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  We  journeyed  on,  through  devious,  lonely  wilds, 
where  no  food  might  be  found  except  what  grew  in  the 
woods,  or  was  carried  with  us.  We  met  with  two  women, 
who  were  going  to  see  their  friends,  and  to  attend  the  quar- 
terly meeting  at  Clarksburgh.     Near  midnight  we  stopped 

at  A 's,  who  hissed  his  dogs  at  us  :  but  the  women  were 

determined  to  go  to  quarterly  meeting,  so  we  went  in.  Our 
supper  was  wasted.     Brothers  Phoebus  and  Cook  took  to  the 

woods  ;  old gave  up  his  bed  to  the  women.     I  lay  along 

the  floor  on  a  few  deer-skins,  with  the  fleas.  That  night  our 
poor  horses  got  no  corn ;  and  the  next  morning  they  had  to 
swim  across  the  Monongahela ;  after  a  twenty  miles'  ride,  we 
came  to  Clarksburgh,  and  man  and  beast  were  so  outcione, 
that  it  took  us  ten  hours  to  accomplish  it.     *     *     *     My 


BISHOP   ASBURT.  201 

mind  has  been  severely  tried  under  the  great  fatigue  endured 
both  by  myself  and  horse.  0,  how  glad  I  should  be  of  a 
plain,  clean  plank  to  lie  on,  as  preferable  to  most  of  the  beds  ; 
and  where  the  beds  are  in  a  bad  state,  the  floors  are  worse." 

In  1789,  George  Washington  was  elected  the  first  President 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  and  while  Congress  was  in 
session,  in  the  city  of  New"  York,  a  congratulatory  address 
was  prepared  by  order  of  the  New  York  Conference,  for  pres- 
entation to  President  Washington.  The  duty  of  its  presenta- 
tion, and  the  reception  of  the  President's  reply,  devolved  on 
Bishop  Asbury,  who  was  very  politely  received  by  the  Presi- 
dent, and  to  whom  a  complimentary  reply  was  given.  The 
estimation  in  which  the  Father  and  savior  of  his  country  was 
held  by  Bishop  Asbury,  may  be  inferred  from  the  following 
language,  which  he  used  on  hearing  of  Washington's  death, 
in  1799  :  "  I  am  disposed  to  lose  sight  of  all  but  Washington. 
Matchless  man  I  At  all  times  he  acknowledged  the  provi- 
dence of  God  ;.  and  never  was  he  ashamed  of  his  Redeemer. 
We  believe  he  died  not  fearing  death,"  kc. 

In  1791,  Bishop  Asbury  visited  New  England,  for  the  first 
time,  and  opened  his  mission  in  the  city  of  New  Haven,  Conn. 
His  appointment  to  preach  was  published  in  the  city  papers, 
and  although  many  of  the  literati  came  to  hear  him,  yet  no 
one  invited  him  to  their  homes  ;  and  although  he  attended 
the  chapel  of  Yale  College,  in  time  of  prayers,  no  one  invited 
him  to  visit  the  interior  of  the  college,  although  some  of  the 
faculty  were  present  who  had  heard  him  preach.  This  cold 
treatment  induced  him  to  say  that  if  the  opportunity  ever 
should  occur,  he  would  "requite  their  behavior,  by  treating 
them  as  friends,  brethren,  and  gentlemen."  "  The  difficulty," 
he  adds,  "  I  met  with  in  New  Haven,  for  lodging,  and  for  a 
place  to  hold  meeting,  made  me  feel  and  know  the  worth  of 
Methodists  more  than  ever."  Bishop  Asbury  subsequently 
visited  Boston,  where  his  reception  was  as  cold  as  at  New 


202  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

Haven,  and  he  remarks,  in  reference  to  it,  "I  have  done  with 
Boston  until  we  can  obtain  a"  lodging,  a  house  to  preach  in, 
and  some  to  join  us."     Such  was  the  cold-hearted  Christian- 
ity of  New  England  Calvinism,  in  those  days  of  tithes  and 
state  support.     Were  Bishop  Asbury  now  alive,  and  were  he 
to  visit  either  New  Haven  or  Boston,  he  would  find  that  a 
mighty  change  had  taken  place  since  his  first  visit  to  New 
England,  not  only  in  the  localities  named,  but  in  all  the  towns 
and  villages  through  which  he  passed.     He  would  find  that 
the  seed  then  sown  by  him  and  his  fellow-laborers  in  the  vine- 
yard of  Christ,  had  indeed  taken  deep  root,  and  germinated, 
and  fructified,  so  that  not  only  "thirty"  or  "  sixty,"  but  even 
"  an  hundred  fold"  has  been  brought  forth  in  that  cold  and 
sterile  soil.     The  following  remarkable  passage  occurs  in  his 
Journal  after  having  made  the  above  visit.     In  reference  to 
the  "  standing  order,"  as  they  were  then  called,  he  says  :    "  I 
am  inclined  to  think  the  eastern  church  will  find  this  saying 
hold-true  in  regard  to  the  Methodists,  '  I  loill  provoke  you  to 
jealousy  by  a  j^cojde  that  ivere  no  peojjle  :  and  by  a  foolish 
nation   I  tvill  anger  you.''     They  have   trodden  upon  the 
duakers,  the  Episcopalians,  the  Baptists, — see  now,   if  the 
Methodists  do  not  work  their  way."     This  almost  prophetic 
language  has  been   literally  fulfilled ;  the   Methodists  have 
"  worked  their  ivay''  in  spite  of  all  ojiposition. 

It  would  be  pleasing  no  doubt  to  the  reader,  to  follow  Bish- 
op Asbury  in  his  various  journeys  over  the  American  conti- 
nent, but  our  limits  will  only  allow  us  to  state  in  reference  to 
this  point,  that  he  was  constantly  active,  always  on  the  move 
from  place  to  place ;  like  the  apocalyptic  angel  he  flew 
"  through  the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the  everlasting  gospel 
to  preach,"  to  the  inhabitants  of  earth.  As  a  further  illustra- 
tion of  his  peculiar  trials  and  privations,  however,  we  may  be 
allowed  to  give  a  few  incidents.  While  travelling  in  the 
south,  he  relates  as  follows  :  "  Having  rode  in  pain  twenty- 


BISHOP    ASBURT.  203 

four  miles,  we  came  to  O.'s  tavern,  and  were  glad  to  take  what 
came  to  hand.  Four  miles  forward  we  came  to  Home's  Ford, 
upon  Catawba  River,  where  we  could  neither  get  a  canoe,  nor 
guide.  We  entered  the  water  in  an  improper  place,  and  were 
soon  among  the  rocks  and  the  whirlpools.  My  head  swam, 
and  my  horse  was  afiVightcd.  The  water  was  up  to  my  knees, 
and  it  was  with  difficulty  we  retreated  to  the  same  shore. 
We  then  called  to  a  man  on  the  other  side,  who  came  and 
piloted  us  across,  for  which  I  paid  him  well.  My  horse  being 
afraid  to  take  the  water  a  second  time,  brother  Gibson  cross- 
ed, and  sent  me  his,  and  our  guide  took  mine  across.  We 
went  on,  but  our  troubles  were  not  at  an  end ;  night  came 
on,  and  it  was  very  dark.  It  rained  heavily,  with  powerful 
lightning  and  thunder.  We  could  not  find  the  path  that 
turned  out  to  Connell's.  In  this  situation  we  continued  till 
midnight  or  past.  At  last  we  found  a  path  which  we  followed 
until  we  came  to  dear  old  father  Harper's  plantation  ;  we 
made  for  the  house  and  called  ;  he  answered,  but  wondered 
who  it  could  be  ;  he  inquired  whence  we  came  ;  I  told  him 
we  would  tell  him  when  we  came  in ;  for  it  was  raining  so 
powerfully  that  we  had  not  much  time  to  talk.  When  I 
came  dripping  into  the  house,  he  cried,  '  God  bless  your  soul, 
is  it  brother  Asb2iry  ?    Wife,  get  up.'  " 

As  a  further  illustration  of  the  extent  of  his  travels  on 
horseback,  he  remarks  on  one  occasion  :  "  From  the  best 
judgment  I  can  form,  the  distance  I  have  travelled  is  as  fol- 
lows : — from  Baltimore  to  Charleston,  S.C.,  one  thousand 
miles ;  thence  up  the  State  of  South  Carolina,  two  hundred 
miles  ;  from  the  centre  to  the  west  of  Georgia,  two  hundred 
miles-;  through  North  Carolina,  one  hundred  miles  ;  through 
the  State  of  Tennessee,  one  hundred  miles  ;  through  the  west 
of  Virginia,  three  hundred  miles ;  through  Pennsylvania,  and 
the  west  of  Maryland,  and  down  to  Baltimore,  four  hundred 
miles."    Thus  making  in  a  single  tour  on  horseback,  through 


204  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

rivers  and  swamps,  over  hills  and  mountains,  preaching  al- 
most every  day,  lodging  in  log-cabins,  or  on  the  cold  ground 
a  journey  of  two  thousand  three  hundred  miles,  in  a  few 
months'  time  !  On  another  occasion  he  writes,  that  he  trav- 
elled "  six  hundred  miles  with  an  inflammatory  fever  and  a 
fixed  pain  in"  his  "  breast."  These  facts  are  sufficient  to 
show  the  self-sacrificing  spirit  of  the  apostohc  Asbury,  while 
they  should  put  to  blush  the  assertions  of  those  who  have  ac- 
cused him  of  being  a  man  greedy  of  honor. 

In  consequence  of  Bishop  Asbury's  severe  labors,  his  health 
became  so  seriously  affected  that  at  the  General  Conference 
of  1800,  he  meditated  a  resignation  of  the  office  of  bishop, 
and  with  this  design,  actually  wrote  a  letter  to  that  effect  to 
be  laid  before  the  Conference.  The  Conference,  however, 
after  the  matter  was  presented,  passed  resolutions  approbatory 
of  his  course  as  a  bishop,  and  earnestly  entreating  him  to  con- 
tinue his  services  to  the  Church  in  that  capacity,  as  far  as 
his  strength  would  permit.  The  entreaty  of  the  Conference 
thus  made,  had  the  effect  of  inducing  him  to  relinquish  his 
design  of  resigning  his  office  for  the  present,  and  as  Dr.  Coke 
was  under  the  necessity  of  spending  the  greater  portion  of  his 
time  in  Europe,  and  consequently  could  render  but  partial 
assistance  in  the  episcopal  work,  the  Conference  elected  the 
Rev.  Richard  Whatcoat  as  the  colleague  of  Bishop  Asbury. 
Mr.  Whatcoat  had  been  selected  for  this  office  by  Mr.  Wes- 
ley himself,  at  the  same  time  that  Dr.  Coke  and  Mr.  Asbury 
were  appointed,  but  as  the  state  of  the  work  did  not  demand 
three  bishops,  his  election  to  the  office  was  deferred  until  the 
time  above  referred  to. 

After  the  adjournment  of  the  General  Conference  of  1800, 
Mr.  Asbury  continued,  through  much  bodily  affliction,  to  travel 
far  and  near,  presiding  in  the  Conference,  and  visiting  all 
portions  of  the  work,  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  kingdom  to 
the  poor  on  the  frontiers  of  the  country,  as  well  as  to  the  rich 


BISHOP    ASBURY.  205 

in  the  populous  cities  of  the  land.  Iti  referring  to  these  la- 
bors he  remarks  in  his  journal  :  "  Why  should  a  living  man 
complain  ?  But  to  be  three  months  together  on  the  frontiers 
when  generally  you  have  but  one  room  and  fire-place,  and 
half  a  dozen  of  folks  about  you,  strangers  perhaps,  and  their 
families,  certainly  (and  they  are  not  usually  small  in  these 
plentiful  new  countries)  making  a  crowd, —  and  this  is  not  all 
— for  here  you  may  meditate  if  you  can  ;  and  here  you  must 
preach,  read,  write,  pray,  sing,  talk,  eat,  drink,  and  sleep,  or 
fly  into  the  woods.  Well  I  I  have  pains  in  my  body — which 
are  very  afflictive  when  I  ride,  but  I  cheer  myself  with  songs 
in  the  night."  During  the  year  1802,  he  rode  about  four 
thousand  miles,  mostly  on  horseback,  through  snow  and  rain, 
but  God  was  ahvays  present  to  cheer  and  comfort  him. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1804,  Bishops  Coke,  Asburj'', 
and  Whatcoat  were  all  present,  and  presided  alternately  over 
the  deliberations  of  the  Conference.  Two  years  subsequently, 
Bishop  Whatcoat  died  at  the  residence  of  Governor  Bassett, 
in  the  State  of  Delaware,  in  the  seventy- first  year  of  his  age. 
The  decease  of  Bishop  Whatcoat  left  Bishop  Asbury  virtually 
alone  in  the  episcopal  work,  Dr.  Coke's  presence  in  Europe 
being  still  requested  by  the  English  Conference  ;  so  that  dur- 
ing the  year  1807,  Bishop  Asbury  was  under  the  necessity 
of  presiding  in  the  seven  Conferences  of  the  Church,  and  of 
travelling  six  thousand  miles  in  ten  months,  in  order  to  do  it. 
During  these  travels,  he  was  frequently  under  the  necessity 
of  lodging,  and  eating  in  taverns,  but  it  is  worthy  of  record, 
that  whatever  might  be  the  character  of  the  house  where  he 
stopped,  if  only  to  eat  a  meal,  or  feed  his  weary  beast,  he 
made  it  a  point  always  to  ask  the  privilege  of  praying  with 
the  family  before  he  left  them  ;  which  permission  was  seldom 
if  ever  refused. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1808,  Bishop  Asbury  was  the 
only  bishop  present.     The  Conference,  however,  elected  the 


206  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

Rev.  Wm.  M'Kendree  as  an  episcopal  colleague  to  fill  the 
place  vacated  by  the  death  of  Bishop  Whatcoat.  Bishop 
M'Kendree  being  comparatively  young  and  robust,  rendered 
valuable  assistance  to  his  aged  colleague,  which  the  latter 
appreciated,  and  in  proper  terms  acknowledged  from  time  to 
time.  The  two  bishops  generally  rode  during  the  first  year 
of  M'Kendree's  episcopate  together,  that  the  senior  might 
introduce  the  junior  member  of  the  episcopacy,  to  the  respec- 
tive Conferences,  as  also  to  the  people  in  every  part  of  their 
extended  diocese.  In  reference  to  their  travels  together,  Mr. 
Asbury  remarks  on  one  occasion,  "  My  flesh  sinks  under  la- 
bor. We  are  riding  in  a  poor  thirty-dollar  chaise  in  partner- 
ship, two  bishops  of  us,  but  it  must  be  confessed  it  tallies  well 
with  the  weight  of  our  purses.  What  bishops  I  Well — but 
we  have  great  news,  and  we  have  great  times,  and  each 
Western,  Southern,  and  Virginia  Conference  will  have  one 
thousand  souls  truly  converted  to  God.  Is  not  this  an  equiv- 
alent for  a  light  purse  ?  And  are  we  not  well  paid  for  starv- 
ing and  toil  ?  Yes,  glory  to  God  I"  That  the  purses  of  these 
bishops  were  "  light,"  maybe  inferred  from  the  fact,  that  their 
salary  was  eighty  dollars  a  year,  and  their  travelling  expenses 
eleven,  or  a  trifle  over  ttcenty  cenU  a  day  !  Whatever  might 
have  been  their  motives  for  enduring  the  hardships  incident 
to  the  discharge  of  their  episcopal  functions,  no  one  we  think 
can  justly  accuse  them  of  being  prompted  by  a  desire  to  grow 
rich. 

In  the  year  1811,  Bishop  Asbury  visited  Upper  Canada, 
which  at  that  period,  and  until  1828,  was  embraced  within 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  American  General  Conference,  and  was 
consequently  under  the  supervision  of  the  Bishops  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  Passing  through  the  Indian  village 
of  St.  Regis,  he  crossed  the  St.  Lawrence  to  Cornwall,  and 
for  the  first  time  in  forty  years,  stood  again  under  the  flag 
of  his  native  country.     In  reference  to  his  feelings  on  this  in- 


BISHOP    ASBURY.  207 

teresting  occasion,  he  remarks  :  "  My  strong  affection  for  the 
people  of  the  United  States,  came  with  strange  power  upon 
me,  when  I  was  crossing  the  hne.  Why  should  1  have  such 
new  feelings  in  Canada  ?"  These  "  feelings,"  were  no  doubt 
occasioned  by  the  operations  of  his  memory,  bringing  vividly 
before  the  mind,  the  days  of  his  youth,  his  country,  his  parents, 
his  early  associates,  his  troubles  during  the  war  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, and  especially  the  mighty  changes  which  had  been 
wrought  since  his  emigration  to  America,  not  only  in  the  civil 
condition  of  his  adopted  country,  but  in  the  condition  of  that 
branch  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  of  which  he  was  the  acknowl- 
edged head,  and  of  which,  in  an  important  sense,  he  had  been 
the  apostle.  The  good  bishop  passed  along  up  the  northern 
shore  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  stopping  frequently  and  preaching 
to  the  people  on  his  way.  After  visiting  Kingston,  and  other 
important  places  in  Canada,  he  recrossed  to  Sackett's  Harbor 
in  an  open  boat,  having  a  "  tremendous  ixissage,''  as  he  in- 
forms us  in  his  journal.  After  landing  in  the  United  States, 
he  proceeded  to  meet  the  Genesee  Annual  Conference,  in 
Paris,  Oneida  County,  New  York,  from  which  place  in  com- 
pany with  Bishop  M'Kendree,  he  proceeded  on  a  tour  through 
New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and  oth- 
er southern  states  of  the  Union,  travelling  some  sixteen  hun- 
dred miles,  over  rough  roads,  and  through  other  hindrances 
in  about  two  months. 

In  1812,  the  first  Delegated  General  Conference,  assembled 
in  the  city  of  New  York,  Bishops  Asbury  and  M'Kendree 
being  present.  Soon  after  the  adjournment  of  the  Conference, 
war  was  declared  against  Great  Britain  by  the  United  States, 
and  although  this  war  was  exceedingly  detrimental  to  the 
interests  of  pure  religion,  it  did  not  prevent  Bishop  Asbury 
from  pursuing  his  customary  labor  for  the  benefit  of  souls.  It 
is  true,  when  he  heard  of  war  being  declared,  his  soul  was 
cast  down  within  him,  while  he  reflected  on  the  miseries  that 


208  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

must  necessarily  ensue  ;  he,  however,  felt  it  his  duty  as  an 
American  citizen  and  bishop,  to  pray  earnestly  for  the  success 
of  the  arms  of  his  adopted  country, — declaring  publicly  on  the 
floor  of  an  Annual  Conference,  that  he  who  at  such  a  time 
refused  to  pray  for  his  country,,  deserved  not  the  name  of  a 
Christian,  or  Christian  minister.  This  last  remark  was  made 
with  reference  to  the  fact,  that  there  was  a  faction  in  the 
Eastern  States,  who  not  only  opposed  the  war,  but  even  re- 
fused to  pray  for  their  rulers  on  that  account.  Bishop  As- 
bury,  during  the  year  1812,  presided  over  nine  Conferences, 
was  present  at  ten  camp-meetings,  and  travelled  six  thousand 
miles ;  but  although  his  labors  were  severe,  so  much  so,  as 
almost  entirely  to  prostrate  his  physical  system,  and  render  it 
necessary  for  his  friends  to  lift  him  into  his  carriage,  he  ex- 
claims, "  0,  let  us  not  complain,  when  we  think  of  the  sufler- 
ing  wounded,  and  dying  of  the  hostile  armies  !  If  we  suffer, 
what  shall  comfort  us  ?  Let  us  see, — Ohio  will  give  us  six 
thousand  for  her  increase  of  members  in  one  new  district." 
So  that  amid  the  ravages  of  war,  the  bishop's  heart  was  con- 
soled with  the  reflection  that  God  was  reviving  his  work. 

In  1814,  Bishop  Asbury  was  seized  with  a  severe  attack  of 
inflammatory  fever,  in  New  Jersey,  so  that  his  life  for  some  time 
was  despaired  of  by  his  friends  and  physicians.  He,  however, 
suddenly  recovered  strength  sufficient  to  go  out.  In  reference  to 
his  partial  recovery  of  strength,  he  says  :  "  I  would  not  be 
loved  to  death,  and  so  came  down  from  my  sick  room,  and 
took  to  the  road,  weak  enough.  Attentions  constant,  and 
kindness  unceasing,  have  pursued  me  to  this  place.  I  look 
back  upon  a  martyr's  life  of  toil  and  privation,  and  pain  ;  and 
I  am  ready  for  a  martyr's  death.  The  purity  of  my  inten- 
tions— my  diligence  in  the  labors  to  which  God  has  been 
pleased  to  call  me — the  unknown  sufferings  I  have  endured 
— What  are  all  these  ?  The  merit,  atonement,  and  righteous- 
ness of  Christ  alone,  make  ray  plea." 


BISUOP    ASBURY.  209 

The  friends  iii  Philadelphia,  in  consequence  of  the  bishop's 
infirmity,  made  him  a  present  of  a  light  four-wheeled  car- 
riage, and  in  four  days  after,  we  find  this  extraordinary  man 
in  Pittsburgh,  across  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  having  urged 
his  way  through  swamps,  rough  roads,  mountainous  passes, 
&c.,  in  order  to  get  there.  From  this  time  until  1816,  Bish- 
op Asbury  continued  to  discharge  his  episcopal  duties  as  much 
as  his  wasted  strength  would  allow,  flying  from  place  to 
place,  with  almost  rail-road  speed,  until  at  length  the  wheels 
of  life  began  to  move  more  slowly,  and  the  veteran  bishop 
was  admonished  that  his  work  on  earth  was  nearly  finished. 

On  the  24th  of  March,  1816,  he  reached  the  city  of  Rich- 
mond, Virginia,  at  which  place  he  preached  his  last  sermon, 
from  these  words  :  "  For  he  will  finish  his  work,  and  cut  it 
short  in  righteousness  :  because  a  short  work  will  the  Lord 
make  upon  the  earth."  This  sermon  was  preached  by  the 
venerable  and  apostolic  man  while  seated  upon  a  table  in  the 
pulpit,  having  been  carried  from  his  carriage  to  the  sacred 
desk.  After  sermon,  he  was  assisted  to  his  carriage,  and 
pursued  his  way  to  Spottsylvania,  Va.,  where  he  put  up  at 
the  house  of  his  old  and  valued  friend,  Mr.  George  Arnold, 
where  he  finally  died  on  the  31st  day  of  March,  1816,  in  the 
71st  year  of  his  age,  and  the  55th  of  his  ministry.  He  died 
in  great  peace,  and  raised  both  his  hands  in  token  that  Jesus 
Christ  was  precious  to  him  in  the  hour  and  moment  of  dis- 
solving nature. 

His  remains  were  interred  in  the  family  burying  ground  of 
Mr.  Arnold,  but  by  order  of  the  next  General  Conference, 
which  assembled  in  Baltimore  on  the  first  day  of  May  follow- 
ing, they  were  disinterred,  and  removed  to  Baltimore,  where 
they  were  finally  deposited  under  the  recess  of  the  pulpit  of 
the  Eutaw-street  Church,*in  a  vault  prepared  for  the  purpose. 

Thus  died  Francis  Asbury,  and  thus  was  a  weeping  Church 

left  to  mourn  the  departure  from  earth  of  their  father  and  be- 

14 


210  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

loved  senior  Bishop.  It  is  scarcely  necessary,  after  what  has 
been  said,  to  attempt  a  description  of  Bishop  Asbury's  char- 
acter. Let  it  suffice  to  say,  that  he  was  emphatically  a 
CHRISTIA.N — a  man  of  deep  religious  experience  ;  that  he  was 
also  a  divinely  appointed  Christian  minister,  giving  the 
most  indubitable  evidence  of  this  fact,  by  the  success  attend- 
ing his  labors.  He  was  also  an  example  of  benevolence  and 
true  Christian  charity.  His  entire  effects,  after  his  decease, 
were  found  to  be  worth  only  about  two  thousand  dollars, 
which  he  left  to  the  Book  Concern,  for  the  benefit  of  the  worn- 
out  preachers,  widows,  and  orphans.  He  was  temperate  in 
all  things,  and  remarkably  plain  and  modest  in  his  apparel. 
His  arduous  labors  have  been  referred  to  ;  during  the  forty-five 
years  of  his  ministry  in  America,  it  has  been  estimated  that  he 
preached  no  less  than  sixteen  thousand  five  hundred  sermons, 
besides  his  lectures,  exhortations,  &c.  &c.  He  also  must  have 
travelled  not  less  than  two  hundred  and  seventy  thousand 
miles,  or  about  eleven  times  the  circumference  of  the  earth  !  He 
probably  also  presided  in  not  less  than  two  hundred  and 
twenty  annual  Conferences,  and  ordained  not  less  than  four 
thousand  persons  to  the  office  of  the  ministry,  besides  tens  of 
thousands  who  were  admitted  by  him  to  the  Church,  by  the 
rite  of  baptism. 

Bishop  Asbury  was  a  good  preacher ;  but  perhaps  his 
greatness  never  appeared  to  better  advantage  than  when  pre- 
siding in  the  annual  or  general  Conferences  of  the  Church  ; 
and  yet  with  all  his  excellencies,  it  is  not  to  be  taken  for 
granted  that  Bishop  Asbury  had  no  defects.  He  probably  had 
many,  but  they  were  defects  arising  solely  from  the  weakness 
of  human  judgment,  and  not  from  any  moral  deficiency,  or 
badness  of  heart.  He  was  never  married,  assigning  as  a 
reason,  that  before  his  elevation  to  the  episcopacy  his  time 
was  so  much  occupied  in  regard  to  the  duties  of  his  sacred 
calling  as  to  aflbrd  no  opportunity  to  attend  to  matrimonial 


BISHOP    ASBURT.  211 

affairs ;  and  after  being  elected  Superintendent,  he  thought 
it  would  be  nothing  less  than  wicked  to  enter  into  a  matri- 
monial alliance  with  any  lady,  from  whom  he  must  be  sepa- 
rated eleven  months  in  every  year.  Hence  he  chose  to  remain 
single,  and  like  Paul  the  apostle,  give  all  his  time  and  talents 
to  the  Church  of  God,  which  indeed  were  freely  given  and 
abundantly  blessed  to  the  good  of  God's  Israel.  Bishop  As- 
bury  "■  rests,  from  his  labors,  a?td  hisivorks  do  follow  him." 


CHAPTEK  X. 

BISHOP  W II A  T  C  0  A  T. 

Comparatively  little  is  known  of  this  holy  man,  as  no  ex- 
tended account  of  his  life  and  labors  has  ever  been  vi^ritten  ;  a 
circumstance  that  is  deeply  to  be  regretted,  the  more  especial- 
ly as  the  subject  of  this  chapter  wslS  so  intimately  connected 
with  the  organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
the  United  States.     It  is,  however,  less   surprising  that  the 
life  of  Bishop  Whatcoat  has  not  been  given  to  the  Methodist 
public,  when  we  consider  that  the  same  is  true  of  his  venera- 
ble colleague,  Bishop  Asbury,  who,  were  it  not  for  the  public 
documents  of  an  ecclesiastical  nature,  in  relation  to  which  he 
bore  so  conspicuous  a  position,  and  which  have  been  happily 
preserved  from  oblivion  and  destruction  ;  and  more  especially 
for  his  journal,  which  has  been  providentially  preserved,  but 
little  would  have  been  known  of  that  great  man.     The  fault, 
however — if  fault  there  is — of  not  having  a  written  history 
of  these  early  fathers  of  Methodism,  does  not  rest  on  the 
shoulders  of  their  sons  in  the  gospel,  some  of  whom  have  done 
what  they  could  to  rescue  their  names  and  memory  from  ob- 
livion.    To  no  person  more  than  to  Dr.  Nathan  Bangs,  is  the 
Church  indebted  for  an  attempt  of  this  character,  and  it  is 
justly  due  to  this  voluminous  writer  and  ecclesiastical  histo- 
rian to  say,  that  had  it  not  been  for  his  unwearied  efibrts  to 
bring  to  light  facts  which  otherwise  would  have  been  entirely 
forgotten  among  the  transactions  of  the  past,  the  little  that 


BISHOP    WHATCOAT.  213 

we  now  know  in  reference  to  some  of  the  burning  and  shin- 
ing lights  of  Methodism,  would  be  entirely  unknown  to  the 
present  or  succeeding  generations.  In  the  preparation  of  this 
short  chapter,  therefore,  we  are  obliged  to  acknowledge  our 
indebtedness  to  the  "  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,"  for  the  principal  facts  found  therein. 

Richard  Whatcoat  was  born  in  England,  in  the  year  1736, 
and  being  brought  up  in  the  "  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord,"  was  saved  from  those  habits  of  vice  and  sin,  into  which 
many  of  the  youth  plunge  thoughtlessly  and  heedlessly.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  he  was  converted  to  God,  and 
received  the  witness  of  his  adoption  into  the  family  of  God  ; 
and  as  the  result  of  such  conversion,  he  began  immediately  to 
bring  forth  the  "fruits  of  the  Spirit,"  and  to  live,  not  only  "  a 
sober  and  righteous,"  but  a  "  godly  life."  He  appears  to  have 
connected  himself  with  the  Methodists  soon  after  his  conver- 
sion, and  labored  for  some  time  as  one  of  Mr.  Wesley's  local 
preachers.  In  1769,  he  joined  the  travelling  connection  in 
England,  and  labored  for  a  period  of  fifteen  years,  as  a  faith- 
ful minister  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  under  the  direction  of 
Mr.  Wesley.  During  this  period,  he  made  full  proof  of  his 
ministry,  and  by  his  zeal  and  fidelity  rendered  himself  useful 
and  acceptable  as  a  preacher,  wherever  he  was  known. 

In  the  year  1784,  the  Macedonian  cry  was  heard  from  the 
western  shore  of  the  Atlantic,  saying,  "  Come  over  and  help 
us."  This  cry  was  made  by  the  thousands  of  Methodists  in 
America,  who  were  like  sheep  without  a  shepherd,  having, 
indeed,  to  some  extent,  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  among 
them,  but  from  various  causes  alluded  to  in  a  preceding  chap- 
ter, were  deprived  of  the  ordinances  of  baptism,  and  the  Lord's 
Supper.  The  request  was  made  to  Mr.  Wesley,  that  he 
would  adopt  some  measures  for  the  relief  of  his  American 
children.  After  proper  consultation,  Mr.  Wesley  resolved  on 
sending  a  partial  supply  of  ministers,  and  Mr.  Whatcoat,  who, 


214  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

althougli  he  was  past  the  meridian  of  hfe,  had  all  the  zeal 
and  missionary  fire  of  youth,  at  once  volunteered  his  services 
for  that  distant  field  of  labor ;  and  dear  to  him  as  was  his 
own  native  land,  and  thrice  dear  as  were  the  thousands  of 
friends  he  must  leave  behind  him,  he  nobly  resolved  to  forsake 
all  for  the  sake  of  preaching  the  gospel  to  the  poor. 

As  before  stated,  Mr.  Whatcoat,  previous  to  his  embarka- 
tion for  America,  was  solemnly  set  apart  by  presbyterial  ordi- 
nation, performed  by  Messrs.  Wesley,  Coke,  and  Creighton, 
presbyters  of  the  Church  of  England,  to  the  office  of  an  elder 
in  the  Church  of  God,  and  in  the  month  of  Se2:itember,  1784, 
left  the  shores  of  England,  and  landed  in  the  City  of  New 
York,  in  company  with  Dr.  Coke,  on  the  3d  of  November,  in 
the  same  year.     After  landing  in  New  York,  Mr.  Whatcoat, 
accompanied  by  the  doctor,  proceeded  to  Philadelphia,  and 
from  thence  to  the  State  of  Delaware,  and  on  the  15th  of  the 
same  month,  they  met  Mr.  Asbury,  at  Barratt's  Chapel,  in 
that  State,  where  Dr.  Coke  apprized  the  latter  of  the  provision 
made  by  Mr.  Wesley,  for  the  organization  of  an  independent 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.     In  reference  to  this  meeting, 
Mr.  Asbury  says,  in  his  Journal,  "Sunday,  15.     I  came  to 
Barratt's  Chapel.     Here,  to  my  great  joy,  I  met  those  dear 
men  of  God,  Dr.  Coke  and  Richard  Whatcoat.     We  were 
greatly  comforted  together.     The  doctor  preached  on  Christ 
our  iviulom,  righteousness,  sa7ictificatio7i,  and  rcdemftion. 
Having  had  no  opportunity  of  conversing  with  them  before 
public  worship,  I  was  greatly  surprised  to  see  Brother  What- 
coat assist,  by  taking  the  cup,  in  the  administration  of  the 
Sacrament.     I  was  shocked  when  first  informed  of  the  inten- 
tion of  these,  my  brethren,  in  coming  to  this  country  ;  it  may 
be  of  God.     My  answer  then  was,  "  If  the  preachers  unani- 
mously choose  me,  I  shall  not  act  in  the  capacity  I  have 
hitherto  done,  by  Mr.  Wesley's  appointment.     The  design  of 
organizing   the  Methodists   into    an   independent   Ej)iscopal 


BISHOP    WHATCOAT.  215 

Church,  was  opened  to  the  preachers  present,  and  it  was 
agreed  to  call  a  General  Conference,  to  meet  at  Baltimore  the 
ensuing  Christmas  ;  as  also  that  Brother  Garrettson  go  off  to 
Virginia  to  give  notice  thereof  to  the  brethren  in  the  South." 
The  surprise  manifested  by  Mr.  Asbury,  at  seeing  Mr.  What- 
coat  assist  in  administering  the  Lord's  Supper,  by  "  taking  the 
cup"  and  passing  it,  arose  from  the  fact  that  he  (Mr.  Asbury) 
had  not  as  yet  been  informed  that  Mr.  Wesley  had  ordained 
any  of  his  preachers,  and  knowing  that  Mr.  Whatcoat  had 
always  been  considered  simply  as  a.  2}>'eache7;  without  ordina- 
tion, he  wondered  greatly  why  he  should  assist  in  a  work 
which  belonged  to  ordained  mini.sters  alone  ;  but  when  in- 
formed of  what  Mr.  Wesley  had  done,  and  of  what  he  intend- 
ed to  be  done  for  his  Societies  in  America,  Mr.  Asbury's  "sur- 
prise" no  doubt  quickly  fled,  and  he  heartily  acquiesced  in 
what  appeared  to  be  the  indications  of  divine  providence  in 
relation  to  his  church  in  America.  The  extraordinary  Con- 
ference, called  as  above,  met  in  Baltimore,  at  the  time  ap- 
pointed. There  were  at  this  period,  eighty-three  preachers  in 
the  travelling  connection  in  America,  and  out  of  this  number 
sixty  were  present,  which,  considering  the  brief  notice  given 
of  the  calling  of  the  same,  shows  the  unanimity  with  which 
Mr.  Wesley's  proposition  was  received,  and  the  relief  sent  ac- 
cepted. 

At  this  Conference,  Mr.  Whatcoat  was  present,  and  al- 
though we  know  but  little  of  his  acts  during  the  session  of 
the  same,  he  no  doubt  cheerfully  acquiesced  in  the  proceedings 
of  his  American  brethren,  with  the  utmost  cordiality  and 
pleasure,  and  after  the  session  had  closed,  he  went  to  the  field 
of  labor  assigned  him  by  his  superiors  in  office,  and  continued 
to  labor  for  many  years,  as  a  faithful  servant  of  the  Church, 
and  as  a  devoted  minister  of  Christ.  During  the  most  of  the 
time  intervening  between  the  organization  of  the  church  and 
that  of  his  being  elected  bishop,  Mr.  Whatcoat  labored  as  a 


216  LIVES    OF   EiUNENT    MINISTERS. 

presiding  elder,  or  assistant  to  the  bishops  of  the  church ;  and 
as  in  these  days,  the  field  of  a  presiding  elder's  labors  was 
very  extensive,  embracing  entire  States,  we  may  well  imagine 
that  Mr.  Whatcoat's  office  was  no  sinecure,  whatever  the 
honor  might  be,  and  that  the  salary,  sixty-four  dollars  per  an- 
num, was  not  sufficiently  great  to  be  tempting.  To  those 
who  live  at  the  present  day,  it  may  be  a  matter  of  wonder 
how  such  men  as  Asbury,  Whatcoat,  and  M'Kendree  could  be 
satisfied  with  the  paltry  sum  of  sixty-four  dollars,  as  an  annual 
salary ;  and  the  only  reason  we  can  assign  for  the  fact  is, 
that  the  Societies  being  weak,  and  the  members  few,  and  poor, 
it  was  thought  by  the  preachers  themselves,  to  be  as  much  as 
could  be  raised  for  their  support ;  another  reason  might  be 
found  in  the  fact  that  expenses  were  not  as  great  in  these 
days  as  at  the  present.  Then  preachers  and  2:)eople  were 
contented  to  be  clothed  in  the  coarsest  garb  ;  while  at  the 
present  day,  the  people  not  only  array  themselves  in  clothing 
of  better  materials,  but  expect  the  preachers  to  do  so  likewise. 
In  fact,  were  a  minister  of  the  present  day  to  clothe  himself  as 
our  forefathers  did,  he  would  be  considered  quite  eccentric, 
and  his  usefulness  would  no  doubt  be  greatly  impaired. 

Besides,  the  necessary  expenses  and  outlays  in  the  early 
days  of  Methodism,  were  not  equal  by  one  half  what  they 
now  are,  for  example :  in  the  article  of  books  alone ;  then,  if 
a  Methodist  preacher  had  a  Bible,  hymn-book,  and  discipline, 
with  a  copy  of  Wesley's  sermons,  and  a  few  other  books,  he 
was  fully  equipped  for  the  moral  warfare  ;  but  at  the  present, 
a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Church  who  would  confine  him- 
self to  these,  would  be  considered  as  a  perfect  ignoramus.  It 
is  expected  and  required  of  him,  that  he  keep  pace  with  the 
improvements  of  the  age  in  which  he  lives,  and  not  only  must 
he  avail  himself  of  the  knowledge  aiTorded  by  reading  and 
studying  the  Word  of  God,  and  the  discipline  of  the  Church, 
but  he  must  as  a  matter  of  necessity,  keep  pace  with  his 


BISHOP    WHATCOAT.  2l7 

hearers  in  regard  to  literature  and  science  of  eveiy  description. 
But  to  do  so,  he  must  liave  books  and  periodicals,  and  these 
cannot  be  obtained  without  money.*  Another  consideration, 
is,  that  the  most  of  the  early  preachers,  including  the  bishops, 
were  unmarried.  Such  was  the  demand  for  their  continual 
services  at  different  points  of  the  work,  that  they  were  con- 
stantly on  the  move,  and  as  in  the  case  of  Bishop  Asbury, 
they  did  not  think  it  morally  right  to  win  the  affections  of 
any  lady,  knowing  that  they  could  enjoy  her  society  but  a  few 
weeks  in  the  course  of  the  year.  Besides,  they  felt  that  they 
could  more  exclusively  devote  themselves  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  if  they  remained  free  from  the  burdens  and  cares  of 
a  family :  hence,  their  expenses  were  comparatively  small, 
and  as  they  had  no  board  bill  to  pay,  they  could  as  well  af- 
ford to  live  on  sixty-four  dollars  a  year,  as  their  successors  can 
on  five  times  that  amount.  Still  it  is  evident,  that  no  men  pos- 
sessed of  as  much  enterprise  and  knowledge  as  they,  v.'ould  have 
for  the  sake  of  the  paltry  sum  alluded  to,  forsaken  home  and 
kindred,  and  consented  to  become  strangers  and  pilgrims  in  the 
most  emphatic  sense.  Neither  could  they  have  been  desirous 
of  securing  the  applause  of  men ;  for  a  very  short  experience 
must  have  taught  the  most  of  them  that  worldly  honor  and 
esteem  was  not  to  be  found  by  serving  in  the  ranks  of  the 
Methodist  itinerancy  of  those  days.  Still  they  were  actuated 
by  motives,  and  these  motives  were  begotten  in  the  heart  by 
the  spirit  of  grace ;  they  were  impelled  to  act,  and  this  im- 
pulsion was  the  effect  of  God's  love  shed  abroad  in  their 
hearts  ;  they  had  an  ambition,  but  it  was  the  ambition  of 
doing  good — a  desire  to  save  men  from  the  wrath  to  come ; 

*  During  the  first  year  of  the  anther's  itinerancy,  in  1836,  his  en- 
tire receipts  for  the  year  were  sixty-seven  dollars;  and  out  of  this,  he 
had  to  clothe  himself,  provide  travelling  equipage,  and  pay  more  than 
twenty  dollars  for  text  books,  whereby  he  might  gain  the  necessary 
amount  of  knowledge  required  by  his  Conference  during  that  year. 


218  IIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

and  to  secure  the  salvation  of  their  fellow-men,  they  "  counted 
not  their  lives  dear,  so  that  they  might  finish  their  course 
with  joy,  and  the  ministry  which  they  had  received  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  to  testify  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God."  But 
let  us  return  to  the  subject  of  the  chapter. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1800,  it  became  necessary  to 
release  Dr.  Coke  partially  from  his  engagements  to  the  Ameri- 
can Church,  at  the  urgent  solicitation  of  the  British  Confer- 
ence, who  earnestly  desired  his  services  as  the  superintendent 
of  various  missions,  and  as  the  President  of  the  Irish  Confer- 
ence. In  consenting  to  the  partial  release  of  the  Doctor,  it 
became  necessary  in  view  of  Bishop  Asbury's  infirm  health, 
to  elect  an  additional  bishop.  Much  discussion  was  had  pre- 
vious to  the  election,  in  relation  to  the  powers  of  the  new 
bishop,  some  contending  that  he  should  be  considered  only  as 
the  assistant  of  Bishop  Asbury.  It  was,  however,  resolved  by 
the  majority,  that  the  bishop  to  be  elected  and  consecrated, 
should  be  equal  in  power  and  authority  with  the  senior 
bishop  already  in  office. 

After  the  above  point  was  settled  to  the  satisfaction  of  all 
parties,  the  next  important  question  to  be  settled  was  in  rela- 
tion to  the  person  who  should  be  selected  for  the  office. 
There  were  two  candidates  in  the  field — Mr.  Whatcoat  and 
Rev.  Jesse  Lee,  each  of  whom  had  his  friends,  and  both  of 
whom  had  peculiar  qualifications  for  the  office  of  a  bishop  in 
the  Church  of  God.  Mr.  Whatcoat  was  an  Englishman,  an 
old  and  valued  minister ;  one  too,  who  had  been  designated 
three  years  previously,  by  Mr.  Wesley  himself,  as  a  proper 
person  to  be  selected  as  a  bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  who  had  even  requested  his  election  to  that 
office.  On  the  other  hand,  Mr.  Lee  was  an  American  by 
birth,  and  a  faverite  among  the  preachers  ;  his  talents  also 
were  of  a  more  popular  character,  and  commanded  for  him 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  were  acquainted  with  him. 


BISHOP    "WHATCOAT.  219 

On  balloting  for  a  bishop,  it  was  found  on  the  first  count, 
that  there  was  a  tie  between  them,  each  havinof  received  an 
equal  number  of  votes.  On  the  second  ballot  being  counted, 
there  were  found  fifty-nine  votes  for  Mr.  Whatcoat,  and  fifty- 
five  for  Mr.  Lee,  whereupon^the  former  was  declared  to  be 
duly  elected.  On  the  18th  of  May,  he  was  publicly  conse- 
crated to  the  episcopal  office  by  the  imposition  of  the  hands 
of  Bishops  Coke  and  Asbury,  assisted  by  some  of  the  elders 
present. 

After  the  adjournment  of  the  General  Conference  of  1800, 
Bishop  Whatcoat  labored  efficiently  and  successfully  as  a 
bishop  of  the  Church,  and  made  full  proof  of  his  ministry  in 
this  new  and  important  relation.  He  greatly  assisted  the 
senior  bishop  in  the  discharge  of  his  onerous  and  responsible 
duties,  and  as  long  as  his  health  would  allow  him  to  do  so, 
he  travelled  extensively  over  the  continent.  At  the  General 
Conference  of  1804,  he  was  present,  and  assisted  Bishops 
Coke  and  Asbury  in  presiding  over  the  deliberations  of  the 
body,  but  his  health  was  greatly  impaired,  and  in  180G,  it 
was  thought  necessary  by  Bishop  Asbury  to  recommend  the 
calling  of  a  special  General  Conference  in  May,  1807,  for  the 
purpose  of  strengthening  the  episcopacy,  as  Bishop  Whatcoat 
was  supposed  to  be  near  his  end.  Each  of  the  Annual  Con- 
ferences promptly  recommended  the  same,  except  the  Vir- 
ginia Conference,  of  which  Rev.  Jesse  Lee  was  an  influential 
member,  which  refused  to  concur  in  the  recommendation ; 
and  in  consequence  of  this  refusal,  the  special  session  could 
not  be  called,  as  the  plan  proposed  required  the  concurrence 
oi all  the  Annual  Conferences,  in  order  to  call  a  special  ses- 
sion. 

While  the  proposal  to  call  a  special  General  Conference, 
was  being  presented  to  each  of  the  annual  Conferences,  Bish- 
op Whatcoat  departed  this  life  at  the  residence  of  ex-governor 
Bassett,  in  the  State  of  Delaware,  on  the  5th  day  of  July, 


220  1.1YES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

1806,  after  an  illness  of  thirteen  weeks,  during  which  time 
his  bodily  sufferings  were  of  the  most  excruciating  character. 
But  in  the  midst  of  them  all,  he  possessed  his  soul  in  perfect  pa- 
tience, and  expressed  from  time  to  time  his  firm  trust  and  con- 
fidence in  Jesus  Christ  his  Savioi^,  and  even  amidst  the  agonies 
of  dissolving  human  nature,  became  a  "  conqueror  ;  yea,  more 
than  conqueror,  through  Him  that  loved  him."  Thus  died 
the  venerable  Bishop  Whatcoat  in  the  seventy-first  year  of 
his  age,  and  in  the  thirty-seventh  year  of  his  ministry,  and 
sixth  of  his  episcopate. 

Shortly  after  his  death.  Bishop  Asbury  visited  the  place  of 
his  sepulture,  at  the  Wesleyan  Chapel,  in  Dover,  Del.,  and 
preached  his  funeral  sermon  from  the  words  :  "  But  thou  hast 
fully  known  my  doctrine,  manner  of  life,  purpose,  faith,  long- 
suffering,  charity,  patience."  2  Tim.  iii.  10.  In  the  course 
of  this  sermon,  Bishop  Asbury  remarked  as  follows  :  "  I  have 
known  Richard  Whatcoat,  from  the  time  I  was  fourteen 
years  of  age  to  sixty-two  years  most  intimately,  and  have  tried 
him  most  accurately  in  respect  to  the  soundness  of  his  faith. 
On  the  doctrines  of  human  depravity,  the  complete  and  general 
atonement  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  insufficiency  of  either  moral  or 
ceremonial  righteousness  for  justification  in  opposition  to  faith 
alone  in  the  merit  and  righteousness  of  Christ,  and  the  doc- 
trine of  regeneration  and  sanctification.  I  have  also  known 
his  manner  of  life  at  all  times  and  places,  before  the  people 
as  a  Christian,  and  a  minister ;  his  long-suffering,  for  he  was 
a  man  of  great  affliction,  both  of  body  and  mind,  having  been 
exercised  with  severe  diseases,  and  great  labors."  Bishop  As- 
bury declared  that  such  was  his  unabated  charity,  his  ardent 
love  to  God  and  man,  his  patience  and  resignation  amid  the 
unavoidable  ills  of  life,  that  he  always  exemplified  the  tem- 
pers and  conduct  of  a  most  devoted  servant  of  God,  and  of  an 
exemplary  Christian  minister. 

The  following  remarks  are  from  Dr.  Bangs  :  "As  he  lived 


BISHOP    WHATCOAT.  221 

for  God  alone,  and  had  assiduously  consecrated  all  his  time 
and  powers  to  the  service  of  his  Church,  so  he  had  neither 
time  nor  inclination  to  '  lay  up  treasures  upon  earth,' — hence 
it  is  stated  that  he  died  with  less  property  than  was  suflicient 
to  defray  the  expenses  of  his  funeral.  He  could  therefore  say, 
more  in  truth  than  most  of  the  pretended  successors  of  St.  Pe- 
ter, who  is  claimed  hy  some  as  the  first  link  in  the  episcopal 
succession,  '  Silver  and  gold  have  I  none,  but  such  as  I  have' 
— '  my  soul  and  body's  poM'ers,'  I  cheerfully  consecrate  to  the 
service  of  God  and  man.  These  remarks  of  themselves  suf- 
ficiently indicate  the  character  of  the  deceased,  without  saying 
anything  more  ;  yet  it  may  be  proper  to  add,  that  though 
we  do  not  claim  for  him  deep  erudition,  nor  extensive  science, 
he  was  profoundly  learned  in  the  sacred  Scriptures,  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  Wesleyan  theology,  and  well  versed  in  all 
the  varying  systems  of  divinity  with  which  the  Christian 
world  has  been  loaded,  and  could  therefore  '  rightly  divide 
the  word  of  truth,  giving  to  every  one  his  portion  of  meat  in 
due  season.'  For  gravity  of  deportment,  meekness  of  spirit, 
deadness  to  the  world,  and  deep  devotion  to  God,  perhaps  he 
was  not  excelled,  if  indeed  equalled  by  any  of  his  contempo- 
raries or  successors.  '  Sober  without  sadness,  and  cheerful 
without  levity,'  says  the  record  of  his  death,  he  was  equally 
removed  from  the  severe  austerity  of  the  gloomy  monk,  and 
the  lightness  of  the  facetious  and  empty-brained  witling.  His 
words  were  weighed  in  the  balance  of  the  sanctuary,  and 
when  uttered  either  in  the  way  of  rebuke,  admonition,  or 
instruction,  they  were  calculated  to  '  minister  grace  to  the 
hearer.'  It  is  said,  that  on  a  particular  occasion,  when  in 
company  with  Bishop  Asbury,  the  latter  was  complaining 
loudly  of  the  perpetual  annoyance  of  so  much  useless  company, 
— Bishop  Whatcoat  with  great  modesty  and  meekness,  mild- 
ly remarked,  '  0  bishop,  how  much  worse  should  we  feel, 
■were  we  entirely  neglected.'     The  former  bowed   an  acqui- 


222  1IVE3    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

escence  to  the  remark,  and  acknowledged  his  obligations  to  his 
amiable  colleague,  for  the  seasonableness  of  the  reproof,  but 
much  more  for  the  manner  in  which  it  was  administered, — 
an  occurrence  alike  creditable  to  them  both. 

"  His  preaching  is  said  to  have  been  generally  attended 
with  a  remarkable  imction  from  the  Holy  One.  Hence  those 
who  sat  under  his  word,  if  they  were  believers  in  Christ,  felt 
it  good  to  be  there,  for  his  doctrine  distilled  as  the  dew  upon 
the  tender  herb,  and  as  the  rain  upon  the  mown  grass.  One 
who  had  heard  him,  remarked,  that  though  he  could  not  fol- 
low hira  in  all  his  researches — intimating  that  he  went  be- 
yond his  depth  in  some  of  his  thoughts — yet  he  felt  that  he 
was  listening  to  a  messenger  of  God,  not  only  from  the  so- 
lemnity of  his  manner,  but  also  from  the  '  refreshing,  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,'  which  so  manifestly  accompanied  his 
word.  The  softness  of  his  persuasions,  won  upon  the  afiec- 
tions  of  the  heart,  while  the  rich  flow  of  gospel  truth  which 
dropped  from  his  lips  enlightened  the  understanding. 

"  Such  was  Bishop  Whatcoat.  And  while  we  justly  attrib- 
ute to  him  those  qualities  which  constitute  an  '  able  minister 
of  the  New  Testament,'  we  present  as  the  distinguishing  trait 
of  his  character,  a  meekness  and  modesty  of  spirit  which,  uni- 
ted with  a  simplicity  of  intention,  and  gravity  of  deportment, 
commended  him  to  all  as  a  pattern  worthy  of  their  imitation. 
So  dear  is  he  in  the  recollection  of  those  who  from  personal 
intercourse,  best  know  and  appreciate  his  worth,  that  I  have 
heard  many  say,  that  they  would  give  much,  could  they  pos- 
sess themselves  of  a  correct  resemblance  of  him  upon  canvass. 
But  as  he  has  left  no  such  likeness  of  himself  behind,  we  must 
be  content  with  oflering  this  feeble  tribute  of  respect  to  his 
memory,  and  then  strive  to  imitate  his  virtues,  that  we  may 
at  last  see  him  as  he  is,  and  unite  with  him  in  ascribing 
'  honor  and  dominion  to  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and 
to  the  Lamb  forever.'  " 


BISHOP    -WHATCOAT.  223 

It  is  probably  owing  to  Bishop  Whatcoat's  extreme  meek- 
ness and  modesty,  that  so  little  is  now  known  of  the  peculiar 
and  interesting  incidents  of  his  life.  Had  he  kept  a  journal, 
as  did  his  friend  and  colleague,  Bishop  Asbury,  many  inter- 
esting items  might  have  been  preserved  for  the  benefit  of  fu- 
ture generations.  Still  sufficient  is  known  of  him  to  immor- 
talize his  memory,  and  to  impress  the  mind  of  every  Methodist 
at  least,  who  reads  this  feeble  sketch,  with  a  sense  of  the  true 
greatness  of  the  man. 

"  The  righteous  shall  be  held  in  everlasting  remem- 
brance." 


CHAPTER  XI. 

REV.   JESSE   LEE. 

The  subject  of  this  chapter,  sometimes  denominated  the 
apostle  of  New  England  Methodism,  was  born  in  Prince 
George  County,  Virginia,  in  the  year  1758.  His  forefathers 
came  from  England  soon  after  the  first  settlement  of  Virginia, 
and  his  parents  were  respectable  members  of  the  Church  of 
England,  and  they  dedicated  their  children  to  God  in  baptism, 
while  in  a  state  of  infancy,  according  to  the  rites  and  ceremo- 
nies of  the  Church  of  which  they  were  members. 

At  a  proper  age,  Jesse  was  sent  to  school  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  a  God-fearing  teacher,  who  took  pains  to  improve  his 
pupils,  morally  as  well  as  intellectually  ;  hence  the  morning 
service  of  the  Church  was  performed  regularly  on  the  Wednes- 
day and  Friday  of  every  week.  Besides,  the  scholars  were 
taught  the  Catechism  of  the  Church,  which  was  attended 
with  good  results,  especially  in  Jesse's  case,  who,  when  he 
felt  an  inclination  to  do  something  wrong,  would  stop  at  the 
recollection  of  the  lessons  taught  in  his  Catechism,  and  refrain 
from  the  commission  of  the  act.  His  father  also  seconded 
the  efforts  of  the  teacher  in  the  enforcement  of  morality,  and 
their  united  labors  were  not  in  vain,  as  young  Lee  was  never 
known  to  indulge  in  those  degrading  vices  which  many  of  his 
associates  delighted  to  indulge  in.  He  never  uttered  a  pro- 
fane expression  but  oncej  for  which  he  afterward  felt  heartily 
Borry. 


JESSE    LEE.  225 

But  although  young  Lee  was  moral  and  circumspect  in  his 
outward  walk  hke  all  other  men,  he  had  "  an  evil  heart  of 
unbelief;"  a  heart  opposed  to  the  requirements  of  God  and 
the  spirituality  of  the  Gospel.  When  he  was  fourteen  years 
of  age,  his  father,  who  had  hitherto  trusted  in  external  ordi- 
nances for  salvation,  was  led  to  see  the  necessity  of  "  being 
born  from  above"  before  he  became  fit  for  the  "  Kingdom  of 
God  :"  he  accordingly  sought,  and  obtained  the  forgiveness  of 
sins,  and  having,  in  the  fulness  of  his  heart,  declared  to  his 
wife  "  what  the  Lord  had  done  for  his  soul,"  she  too  was  led 
to  embrace  the  Saviour,  and  become  a  spiritual  "  worshipper 
of  the  Father."  The  conversion  of  his  parents  produced  a 
powerful  efiect  on  the  mind  of  Jesse ;  his  conviction  for  sin 
became  pungent,  and  fearing  one  morning,  that  he  would  drop 
into  hell,  he  was  constrained  to  cry  aloud  for  mercy,  and  soon 
the  Lord  appeared  for  his  relief,  so  that  young  Lee  could  ex- 
claim with  the  Prophet,  "  0  Lord,  I  M'ill  praise  thee  ;  though 
thou  wast  angry  with  me,  thine  anger  is  turned  away,  and  thou 
comfortest  me." 

In  the  year  1774,  when  Jesse  was  about  sixteen  years  of 
age,  Mr.  Robert  Williams,  a  Wesleyan  preacher,  visited  that 
part  of  Virginia  where  Jesse's  parents  resided.  They  soon  be- 
came attached  to  the  first  Methodist  Society  formed  in  that 
vicinity,  and  Jesse,  stimulated  by  their  example,  united  also 
with  the  Society.  From  this  time  forward,  Mr.  Lee's  house 
became  a  regular  preaching  place,  and  a  home  for  the  weary 
itinerant,  and  like  Obed-edom  of  old,  the  Lord  blessed  him 
abundantly  in  basket  and  in  store,  because  the  "  ark  of  the 
Lord  rested  there."  The  year  1775  was  distinguished  by  a 
great  revival  of  religion  in  Virginia,  and  during  this  revival 
Jesse  Lee,  although  but  seventeen  years  of  age,  felt  an  im- 
pression that  it  was  his  duty  to  labor  personally  for  the  salva- 
tion of  souls,  and  he  had  an  ample  field  for  the  improvement 
of  his  talents  and  the  exercise  of  his  Christian  graces. 

15 


226  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

About  this  period  he  left  his  father's  house,  for  the  purpose 
of  residing  with  a  bereaved  relative  in  North  Carolina.  Here 
he  was  appointed  a  class-leader  by  the  preacher  in  charge 
of  the  circuit,  and  from  this  time  forward,  he  frequently  ex- 
horted at  class-meetings,  prayer-meetings,  &c.,  and  would 
sometimes  hold  meetings  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  "  word 
of  exhortation,"  and  on  the  17th  of  November,  1779,  he 
preached  his  first  sermon  at  a  place  called  the  "  Old  Barn," 
his  text  being,  "  Behold  what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath 
bestowed  upon  us,  that  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of 
God !"  &c. 

Mr.  Lee  served  the  Church  for  some  time,  in  the  capacity 
of  a  local  preacher,  while  he  pursued  the  task  of  cultivating 
the  soil,  as  the  means  of  gaining  a  livelihood,  but  while  pur- 
suing his  peaceful  avocations,  and  spending  all  his  spare  time 
in  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  Prince  of  Peace,  he  was  draft- 
ed to  serve  in  the  army,  the  United  States  being  then  engaged 
in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  Mr.  Lee,  though  a  friend  to  his 
country,  and  a  well-wisher  to  the  cause  of  liberty,  had  im- 
bibed the  idea  that  it  was  wrong  for  him,  as  a  Christian,  to 
bear  arms  or  to  kill  any  of  his  fellow-creatures.  He  deter- 
mined however  to  join  the  army,  and  to  trust  in  the  Lord  for 
deliverance  from  the  necessity  of  taking  life.  On  the  29th  of 
July,  1780,  he  arrived  at  the  encampment,  and  shortly  after 
was  called  on  parade.  The  sergeant  soon  went  round  with 
the  muskets,  and  offered  one  to  Mr.  Lee,  but  he  refused  to 
take  it ;  the  lieutenant  then  brought  him  one,  but  he  still  re- 
fused to  take  it.  The  lieutenant  threatened  him  with  the 
guard-house,  and  went  to  see  the  colonel,  and  coming  back  set 
the  gun  down  against  him.  Mr.  Lee  told  him  he  might  as 
well  take  the  gun  away,  or  it  would  fall,  the  officer  then 
placed  him  under  guard.  After  a  while  the  colonel  came, 
and  taking  Mr.  Lee  aside,  began  to  converse  with  him  in  re- 
lation to  the  propriety  of  bearing  arms,  but  his  reasons  were 


JESSE    LEE,  227 

not  sufficiently  cogent  to  make  any  change  in  Mr.  Lee's  mind 
go  that  he  left  him  in  the  care  of  the  guard.  After  dark,  Mr. 
Lee  told  the  guard  that  they  must  have  prayers  before  they 
went  to  rest,  and  finding  a  Baptist  under  guard,  he  asked  him 
to  pray.  After  prayer,  Mr.  Lee  told  the  soldiers  and  others, 
that  if  they  would  attend  in  the  morning,  he  would  pray  with 
them.  The  soldiers  brought  straw  for  him  to  lie  on,  and  offer- 
ed him  their  blankets  and  great-coats  for  covering,  so  that  he 
slept  quite  soundly.  The  next  morning  being  Sabbath,  some 
hundreds  of  people  flocked  together  at  the  sound  of  Mr.  Lee's 
singing,  and  they  joining  with  him,  the  surrounding  planta- 
tion echoed  with  the  songs  of  Zion.  After  singing  they  had  a 
season  of  prayer,  and  many  of  the  poor  soldiers  wept. 

After  prayer,  a  tavern-keeper  came  out  and  talked  with  Mr. 
Lee,  and  informed  him,  that  while  in  bed  he  heard  him  pray- 
ing, that  he  could  not  refrain  from  tears,  and  had  come  to  see 
if  he  would  be  willing  to  preach  to  the  people.  Mr.  Lee  con- 
sented, provided  the  Colonel's  permission  could  be  obtained. 
This  was  granted,  but  before  preaching,  the  Colonel  came 
and  took  Mr.  Lee  out  to  talk  with  him  again,  on  the  subject 
of  bearing  arms.  The  latter  informed  the  Colonel  that  he 
was  a  friend  to  his  country,  but  that  he  could  not  kill  a  man 
and  preserve  a  good  conscience,  and  that  he  was  willing  to  do 
anything  while  in  the  army,  but  fight.  Whereupon  the 
Colonel  kindly  gave  him  the  charge  of  a  baggage-wagon,  so 
that  he  might  be  relieved  from  the  necessity  of  fighting,  and 
then  released  him  from  confinement,  telling  him  that  he 
might  stand  on  a  bench  by  the  Colonel's  tent,  and  preach. 
While  preaching,  many  of  the  officers  and  soldiers  were  very 
much  affected,  and  at  the  close  of  the  preaching,  some  of  the 
gentlemen  present  went  about  with  their  hats  for  the  purpose 
of  making  a  collection  of  money  for  the  preacher,  which  Mr. 
Lee  no  sooner  saw,  than  he  peremptorily  requested  them  to 
desist,  thinking  that  if  the  people  could  afford  to  sit  and  hear 


228  IITES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

him,  he  could  afibrd  to  stand  and  preach  to  them.  It  was 
not  customary  in  those  days  for  local  preachers  to  receive  any 
remuneration  for  their  services. 

Mr.  Lee  moved  with  the  army  from  place  to  place,  improv- 
ing every  opportunity  of  preaching  to  the  soldiers.  After 
being  some  months  with  the  army,  the  Colonel  appointed  Mr. 
Lee  sergeant  of  the  pioneers,  a  birth  with  which  he  was  well 
suited.  After  remaining  a  few  weelis  longer  in  the  army,  the 
Commanding  General  gave  him  an  honorable  discharge  from 
further  service,  and  he,  Avith  a  glad  heart,  took  his  journey 
homeward,  and  soon  had  the  satisfaction  of  meeting  with  his 
friends,  from  whom  he  had  been  separated  for  three  months 
and  a  half. 

In  1782,  Mr.  Lee,  having  attended  the  Virginia  Conference, 
was  appointed  in  connection  with  Mr.  Drumgoole  to  form  a 
new  circuit.  On  their  way  to  their  appointed  field  of  labor, 
they  stopped  at  the  house  of  a  Gluaker,  and  asked  permission 
to  tarry  for  the  night.  "If  you  choose  to  get  down,"  said 
the  honest  Friend,  "  I  will  not  turn  thee  away."  This  blunt 
reply  rather  confounded  the  young  itinerant,  as  not  knowing 
whether  he  would  be  welcome  or  not,  but  as  it  was  night 
and  no  time  for  ceremony,  they  dismounted  and  tried  to  make 
themselves  as  much  at  home  as  possible,  and  they  soon  found 
that  the  duaker,  blunt  as  he  was,  was  by  no  means  lacking 
in  true  benevolence  and  charity.  Before  retiring  to  rest,  the 
guests  begged  the  privilege  of  attending  family  prayers.  "  If 
you  have  a  mind  to  pray,  I  will  leave  the  room,"  and  suiting 
the  action  to  the  words,  he  retired,  and  left  them  to  attend  to 
their  devotions  in  their  own  way.  Mr.  Lee  labored  as  a 
travelling  preacher  during  a  part  of  this  year,  and  at  the  next 
session  of  the  Conference,  was  received  on  trial,  and  was  ap- 
pointed to  Caswell  circuit.  North  Carolina. 

The  following  year  (1784),  Mr.  Lee  was  appointed  to  Salis- 
bury circuit,  where  his  labors  were  greatly  blessed  to  the 


JESSE    LEE.  229 

good  of  the  people.  In  the  month  of  December,  he  received 
an  official  note,  informing  him  of  the  arrival  of  Dr.  Coke,  and 
Messrs,  Whatcoat  and  Vasey,  and  requesting  his  attendance 
at  Baltimore  on  the  25th  of  the  same  month  ;  but  as  he  was 
five  hundred  miles  from  the  seat  of  Conference,  and  had  only- 
twelve  days'  notice,  he  considered  it  impossible  with  his  poor 
state  of  health,  and  the  unfavorable  state  of  the  roads  at  that 
season  of  the  year,  to  attend,  so  that  he  remained  on  his  cir- 
cuit. Soon  after  the  organization  of  the  Church,  and  the 
election  and  consecration  of  Mr.  Asbury  to  the  Superintend- 
ency  of  the  Church,  Mr.  Lee  had  the  privilege  of  meeting  the 
latter  at  one  of  his  appointments.  Just  before  the  commence- 
ment of  the  service,  Bishop  Asbury  appeared  with  his  black 
robe,  cossack,  and  band,  and  as  it  was  a  novel  sight  to  see  a 
Methodist  arrayed  in  canonicals,  Mr.  Lee  felt  deeply  grieved 
at  what  he  considered  an  innovation  upon  the  plainness  and 
simplicity  of  Methodism,  and  he  stoutly  opposed  the  practice. 
He  did  not  allow  his  zeal  for  plainness  to  destroy  his  affection 
for  the  bishop,  but  at  the  request  of  the  latter,  became  for  a 
time  his  travelling  companion,  and  accompanied  him  as  far 
south  as  Charleston,  S.  C. 

In  1787,  Mr.  Lee  was  appointed  to  Baltimore  City  circuit, 
an  appointment  of  great  importance,  and  which  he  filled  with 
great  acceptability  and  success,  preaching  not  only  in  the 
churches  and  school-houses,  but  on  the  commons,  in  the  mar- 
kets, and  wherever  he  could  find  a  congregation.  In  the 
spring  of  1788,  he  visited  his  native  place  in  Virginia,  where 
a  remarkable  revival  of  religion  had  been  in  progress  for  soma 
time.  Respecting  this  revival,  Mr.  Lee  says  in  his  journal  • 
"  I  surely  have  cause  to  bless  and  praise  God,  that  I  came  to 
Virginia  this  spring  to  see  my  old  friends.  But  such  a  change 
in  any  people  I  never  saw. — They  told  me  instances  of  per- 
sons, who  were  quite  careless  in  the  morning,  and  perhaps 
laughing  at  religion,  but  going  to  meeting  they  were  cut  to 


230  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

the  heart,  and  dropped  down  as  if  dead ;  and  after  lying 
awhile,  some  perhaps  for  hours,  and  others  not  so  long,  have 
leaped  up  and  praised  God  from  a  sense  of  his  forgiving  love  ; 
and  it  has  been  quite  common  for  Christians,  when  they  have 
been  much  comforted,  to  praise  God  aloud  ;  and  while  in  an 
ecstacy  of  joy,  have  gone  to  the  wicked  and  taken  hold  of 
them,  and  exhorted  them  with  tears  to  seek  the  Lord.  Others 
have  gone  to  their  wicked  relations — parents  to  their  children, 
children  to  their  parents,  the  husband  to  the  wife,  and  the 
wife  to  the  husband,  and  wept  over  them  and  prayed  for 
them  till  the  power  of  God  has  laid  hold  of  them,  and 
they  have  been  made  subjects  of  converting  grace.  So 
mightily  has  the  Lord  blessed  the  labors  of  his  people  in  this 
place." 

At  the  Conference  of  1788,  Mr.  Lee  was  strongly  sohcited 
by  Bishop  Asbury  and  others,  to  receive  ordination,  but  such 
was  his  humility  and  his  view  of  the  sacredness  and  awful- 
ness  of  the  holy  office,  that  he  refused  to  take  the  same  upon 
him,  at  least  for  the  time  being.  He,  however,  received  an 
appointment  to  Flanders  circuit,  where  he  labored  with 
untiring  perseverance  for  the  upbuilding  of  Messiah's  king- 
dom. 

But  we  must  now  introduce  Mr.  Lee  to  a  new  field  of  la- 
bor, where  he  is  destined  to  plant  the  banners  of  Methodism 
on  the  soil  of  the  pilgrims,  and  to  carry,  what  appeared  to 
many  in  that  day  to  be  a  new  gospel,  among  the  staid  inhabi- 
tants of  New  England  ;  a  work  which  has  gained  for  Jesse 
Lee  the  by  no  means  inappropriate  appellation  of  Apostle  of 
New  England  Methodism.  In  1789,  Mr.  Lee  attended  the 
Conference  in  New  York  city,  and  received  an  appointment 
to  Stamford  circuit,  in  the  State  of  Connecticut.  The  cir- 
cumstances which  led  to  his  appointment  as  a  Methodist 
preacher  among  the  New  Englanders,  appear  to  have  been 
providential.     As  early  as   1785,  Mr.  Lee,  while  travelling 


JESSE    LEE,  231 

with  Bishop  Asbury  to  Charleston,  S.  C.,*  had  occasion  to 
call  on  a  merchant  by  the  way,  whose  clerk  was  a  native 
of  New  England.  Mr.  Lee  learned  much  from  this  young 
man  in  relation  to  the  religious  condition  of  his  native  land, 
and  instantly  entertained  a  desire  to  go  and  preach  the  doc- 
trines of  a  free  and  full  salvation  to  that  people,  and  the  de- 
sire thus  begotten  in  his  mind  continued  for  the  term  of  four 
years,  until  at  length  he  was  gratified  by  an  appointment 
among  them. 

At  the  period  now  referred  to,  there  were  no  less  than  two 
hundred  Methodist  travelling  preachers,  and  forty-three 
thousand  Methodist  members  in  the  United  States  ;  and  yet 
strange  to  tell,  there  was  not  a  single  Methodist  preacher, 
nor  a  single  Methodist  Society  in  all  New  England !  It  is 
true,  that  E,ev.  Mr.  Black,  a  Wesleyan  preacher,  and  Rev. 
Cornelius  Cook,  had  preached  in  diflerent  parts  of  New  Eng- 
land, but  without  having  been  stationed  there  by  the  authori- 
ty of  the  Conference.  The  reason  for  this  apparent  neglect 
of  the  Methodists  to  cultivate  this  ground  hitherto,  may  be 
found  in  the  fact  that  New  England  was  well  supplied  with 
preaching,  and  with  preachers.  Indeed,  Congregationalism 
was  both  established  and  supported  by  law,  although  at  the 
time  of  which  we  speak,  it  is  an  admitted  fact,  that  the 
Churches  of  New  England  had  in  a  great  measure  lost  the 
life  and  power  of  godliness,  and  many  of  them  had  fallen  into 
the  meshes  of  cold-hearted  Socinianism,  with  an  evident 
leaning  toward  nationalism.  Another  reason  may  be  found 
in  the  fact,  that  the  religious  sentiments  of  the  people  of  New 
England  were  so  perfectly  antagonistic  to  the  principles  and 
doctrines  of  Methodism,  that  the  advocates  and  promulgators 
of  the  latter  were  looked  upon  as  the  worst  kind  of  heretics  ; 

*  Mr.  Stevens,  in  his  "  Memorials  of  Methodism,"  says  this  trans- 
pired in  1775 ;  but  this  is  evidently  an  error,  as  Mr.  Asbury  was  not 
ordained  till  1781. 


232  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

and  hence,  notwithstanding  the  acknowledged  lukewarmness 
and  heterodoxy  of  many  of  the  New  England  Churches,  no 
friendly  voice  was  ever  heard  saying  to  the  followers  of  Wes- 
ley, "  Gome  over  and  help  us.'' 

It  was  under  these  circumstances  that  Jesse  Lee  was  com- 
missioned to  unfurl  the  banners  of  Methodism  within  the 
strongholds  of  bigotry  and  dead  formality;  and  on  the  11th 
of  June,  he  set  foot  upon  the  soil  of  Connecticut.  His  first 
sermon  was  preached  in  the  town  of  Norwalk,  where  he 
found  a  few  who  were  willing  to  inquire,  "  whether  these 
things  were  so,"  of  which  he  had  spoken.  As  the  circum- 
stances connected  with  this,  his  first  sermon  in  New  England 
are  interesting,  we  will  quote  his  own  words  :  "  June  17th, 
at  4  o'clock,  I  arrived  in  Norwalk,  and  went  to  one  Mr. 
Rogers,  where  one  of  our  friends  had  asked  the  liberty  for  me 
to  preach.  When  I  came,  Mrs.  E,.  told  me  her  husband  was 
from  home,  and  was  not  willing  for  me  to  preach  in  his 
house.  I  told  her  we  would  hold  meeting  in  the  road,  rather 
than  give  any  uneasiness.  We  proposed  speaking  in  an  old 
house  that  stood  just  by,  but  she  was  not  willing.  I  then 
spoke  to  an  old  lady  about  speaking  in  her  orchard,  but  she 
would  not  consent,  but  said  we  would  tread  the  grass  down. 
So  the  other  friend  went  and  gave  notice  to  some  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  they  soon  began  to  collect,  and  we  went  to  the  road 
"where  we  had  an  apple-tree  to  shade  us.  When  the  M'oman 
saw  that  I  was  determined  to  preach,  she  said  I  might 
preach  in  the  old  house,  but  I  told  her  it  would  be  better  to 
remain  where  we  were.  So  I  began  on  the  side  of  the  road, 
with  about  twenty  hearers.  After  singing  and  prayer,  I 
preached  on  John  iii.  7,  '  Ye  must  be  born  again.''  I  felt  hap- 
py that  we  were  favored  with  so  comfortable  a  place.  Most 
part  of  the  congregation  paid  particular  attention  to  what  I 
said,  and  two  or  three  women  seemed  to  hang  down  their 
heads   as  if  they  understood  something  of  the   New  Birth. 


JESSE    LEE.  233 

After  preaching,  I  told  the  people  that  I  intended  to  be  with 
them  again  in  two  weeks,  and  if  any  of  them  would  open 
thoir  houses  to  receive  me,  I  should  be  glad,  and  if  they  were 
not  willing,  we  w'ould  meet  at  the  same  place  ;  some  of  them 
came  and  desired  that  I  should  meet  at  the  town-house  the 
next  time  ;  so  I  gave  consent.  Who  knows  but  I  shall  yet 
have  a  place  in  this  town  where  I  may  lay  my  head  ? 

"Thursday,  18th,  I  rode  about  sixteen  miles  to  Fairfield, 
and  put  up  at  Mr.  Penfield's  tavern,  near  the  court-house,  and 
soon  told  who  I  was,  and  what  was  ray  errand ;  the  woman 
of  the  house  asked  me  a  few  questions,  and  in  a  little  time 
wished  to  know  if  I  had  a  liberal  education.  I  told  her  I  had 
just  education  enough  to  carry  me  through  the  country.  I 
got  a  man  to  go  with  me  to  see  the  two  principal  men  of  the 
town,  in  order  to  get  pei'mission  to  preach  in  the  court-house; 
the  first  said  he  had  no  objection,  the  other  said  he  was  very 
willing.  However,  he  asked  me  if  I  had  a  liberal  education. 
I  told  him  I  had  nothing  to  boast  of,  though  I  had  education 
enough  to  carry  me  through  the  country ;  then  I  went  to  the 
court-house,  and  desired  the  schoolmaster  to  send  word  by  his 
scholars  that  I  was  to  preach  at  six  o'clock  ;  he  said  he  would, 
but  did  not  think  that  many  would  attend.  I  waited  till  after 
the  time,  and  no  one  came  ;  at  last  I  went  and  opened  the 
door  and  sat  down.  At  length  the  schoolmaster  and  three  or 
four  women  came  ;  I  began  to  sing,  and  in  a  little  time  thirty 
or  forty  collected  ;  then  I  preached  on  Eom.  vi.  23.  I  felt  a 
good  deal  of  satisfaction  in  speaking.  My  soul  was  happy  in 
the  Lord  ;  and  I  could  not  but  bless  God  that  he  gave  me  to 
feel  for  the  souls  of  those  that  heard  me.  The  people  were 
very  solemn  toward  the  end  of  the  sermon,  and  several  of 
them  afterward  expressed,  in  my  hearing,  their  great  satisfac 
tion  in  hearing  the  discourse.  After  Mrs.  Penfield  came  back 
to  the  tavern,  she  pressed  me  much  to  call  the  next  day,  and 
preach  at  her  sister's,  who,  she  said,  was  much  engaged  in  re- 


234  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

ligion,  and  would  be  much  pleased  with  my  manner  of  preach- 
ing. This  appeared  to  me  to  be  an  opening  of  the  Lord :  so 
I  told  her  I  would.  I  stayed  all  night,  and  prayed  with  the 
family,  who  were  very  kind,  and  would  not  charge  me  any- 
thing, but  asked  me  to  call  again." 

Mr.  Lee  had  now  fully  opened  his  mission  in  New  England, 
and  he  continued  going  from  place  to  place,  preaching  the 
gospel  of  peace  to  the  inhabitants  of  those  lands.  On  the  4th 
of  July  we  find  him  at  Stratford,  Conn.,  where  he  put  up  at 
a  tavern,  and  then  went  to  the  man  who  kept  the  key  of  the 
town-house,  and  obtained  his  consent  to  preach  therein.  The 
man  told  him  he  did  not  know  much  about  the  Methodists, 
they  might  be  like  the  New-Lights.  Mr.  Lee  in  reply,  said 
he  did  not  know  much  about  the  New-Lights,  but  some  peo- 
ple thought  that  the  Methodists  resembled  them  in  their 
preaching.  "Well,"  said  the  man,  "if  you  are  like  them,  I 
would  not  wish  to  have  anything  to  do  with  you."  Mr.  Lee 
inquired  what  objections  he  had  to  the  New-Lights.  "  Why," 
replied  the  man,  "  they  went  on  like  madmen  ;  there  was  one 
Davenport  that  would  preach,  and  hollo,  and  beat  the  pul- 
pit with  both  hands,  and  cry  out  '  Come  away,  come  away  to 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Why  don't  you  come  to  the  Lord?' 
till  he  would  foam  at  the  mouth,  and  sometimes  continued  it, 
till  the  congregation  would  be  praying  in  companies  about  the 
house."  "For  my  part,"  said  Mr.  Lee,  "  I  wished  that  the 
like  work  was  among  the  people  again."  Mr.  Lee  according- 
ly preached  in  the  town-house,  and  was  hospitably  entertain- 
ed by  the  people. 

During  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1789,  Mr.  Lee  visited 
a  large  number  of  places  in  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island, 
and  the  snows  and  frosts  of  a  New  England  winter  did  not 
deter  him  from  discharging  the  duties  of  his  mission.  Under 
date  of  February  6th,  1790,  Mr.  Lee  states:  "I  rode  to 
Putney.     After  meeting,  an  old  man  came  and  spoke  to  me, 


JESSE    LEE.  235 

and  asked  me  why  I  did  not  go  into  the  back  settlements  and 
preach  to  the  people  that  were  not  favored  with  the  Gospel 
as  they  were  in  Putney  ;  I  told  him  my  call  was  to  sinners, 
and  that  I  found  many  of  them  wherever  I  went.  I  then 
asked  him  if  all  the  peojile  in  the  neighborhood  were  convert- 
ed ?  He  said  they  had  the  means  ;  I  asked  him  if  any  of 
them  (the  standing  order  I  suppose  is  meant)  preached  in  Put- 
ney ?  He  said  no  ;  but  they  preached  near  enough  for  all  to 
go  and  hear.  I  told  him  he  put  me  in  mind  of  the  dog  in  the 
manger,  who  would  not  eat  the  hay  himself,  nor  suffer  the  ox 
to  eat  it ;  they  would  not  come  to  the  place  to  preach,  and 
were  not  willing  that  I  should ;  at  which  many  present  could 
not  refrain  from  laughing  heartily.  He  said,  '  a  busybody 
about  other  men's  matters,'  according  to  the  original,  was  one 
that  preached  in  another's  parish  without  his  consent.  I  told 
him  the  words  might  be  well  applied  to  him  in  meddling 
himself  with  my  preaching.  He  still  insisted  on  the  necessity 
of  my  going  where  there  was  no  regular  preaching,  and  where 
the  people  were  suffering  for  want  of  it,  I  told  him  if  he 
thought  that  some  one  ought  to  go  to  the  new  settled  parts  of 
the  country,  that  he  was  the  very  man  to  go.  He  said  he 
was  too  old ;  I  replied,  that  a  person  was  never  too  old  to  do 
good.  We  then  parted,  and  he  bid  me  adieu.  When  I 
came  away,  I  asked  what  old  gentleman  that  was  ;  they  told 
me  that  it  was  Mr.  Birdseye — a  worn-out  priest,  that  preaches 
once  in  a  while,  and  was  but  little  admired  among  the  people. 
I  wist  not  that  he  was  a  priest,  and  no  wonder  that  the  peo- 
ple laughed  when  I  compared  him  to  the  dog  i*  the  man- 
ger." 

During  the  spring  of  1790,  Mr.  Lee  visited  different  parts 
of  Massachusetts,  Vermont,  and  New  Hampshire  ;  and  in  the 
following  summer  directed  his  course  to  the  city  of  Boston, 
praying  that  in  this  place  he  might  have  some  fruit  also. 
The   following   account   of  his   introducing  the   Gospel   as 


236  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

preached  by  him  and  his  co-laborers,  taken  from  "  Steven's 
Memorials,"  will,  no  doubt,  be  interesting  to  the  reader.  "In 
the  centre  of  Boston  Common  still  stands  a  gigantic  elm — the 
crowning  ornament  of  its  beaixtiful  scenery.  On  a  fine  summer 
afternoon  in  July,  1790,  a  man  of  middle  age,  of  a  serene  but 
shrewd  countenance,  and  dressed  in  a  style  of  simplicity  which 
might  have  been  taken  for  the  guise  of  a  (iuaker,  took  his 
stand  upon  a  table  beneath  the  branches  of  that  venerable 
tree.  Four  persons  approached,  and  gazed  upon  him  with 
surprise,  while  he  sung  a  hymn.  It  was  sung  by  his  solitary 
voice  ;  at  its  conclusion  he  knelt  down  upon  the  table,  and 
stretching  forth  his  hands,  prayed  with  a  fervor  and  unction, 
so  unwonted  in  the  cool  and  minute  petitions  of  the  Puritan 
pulpits,  that  it  attracted  the  groups  of  promenaders  who  had 
come  to  spend  an  evening  hour  in  the  shady  walks,  and  by 
the  time  he  rose  from  his  knees,  they  were  streaming  in  pro- 
cessions from  the  diflerent  points  of  the  Common  toward  him. 
While  he  opened  his  small  Bible  and  preached  to  them  with- 
out '  notes,'  but  with  the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of 
power,  the  multitude  grew  into  a  dense  mass,  three  thousand 
strong,  eagerly  catching  every  utterance  of  the  singular 
stranger,  and  some  of  them  receiving  his  message  into  '  hon- 
est and  good  hearts.'  One  who  heard  him  at,  or  about  this 
lime,  says  :  '  When  he  stood  up  in  the  open  air  and  began  to 
sing,  I  knew  not  what  it  meant.  I  drew  near,  however,  to 
listen,  and  thought  the  prayer  was  the  best  I  had  ever  heard. 
He  then  read  his  text,  and  began,  in  a  sententious  manner,  to 
address  his  remarks  to  the  understanding  and  consciences  of 
the  people  ;  and  I  thought  all  who  were  present  must  be  con- 
strained to  say,  '  It  is  good  for  us  to  be  here.'  All  the  Avhile 
the  people  were  gathering,  he  continued  this  mode  of  address, 
and  presented  us  with  such  a  variety  of  beautiful  images,  that 
I  thought  he  must  have  been  at  infinite  pains  to  crowd  so 
many  pretty  things  into  his  memory.     But  when  he  entered 


JESSE    LEE.  237 

upon  the  subject  matter  of  his  text,  it  was  with  such  an  easy, 
natural  flow  of  expression,  and  in  such  a  tone  of  voice,  that  I 
could  not  refrain  from  weeping  ;  and  many  others  were  affect- 
ed in  the  same  way.  When  he  was  done,  and  we  had  an 
opportunity  of  expressing  our  views  to  each  other,  it  was 
agreed  that  such  a  man  had  not  visited  New  England  since 
the  days  of  Whitefield.  I  heard  him  again,  and  thought  I 
could  follow  him  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.'  " 

It  is  proper  to  remark,  that  before  preaching  on  the  Com- 
mon, he  had  endeavored  to  find  some  house  where  he  might 
deliver  his  message,  but  he  conld  get  none  to  encourage  him 
in  his  endeavors  to  do  so  ;  none  would  put  themselves  to  the 
trouble  of  finding  a  [dace  for  him,  and  knowing  that  the  Com- 
mon was  the  only  spot  where  he  could  find  a  pulpit,  he  re- 
paired there,  as  above  graphically  described.  On  the  follow- 
ing day  he  left  Boston,  and  passing  through  Salem  where  he 
preached,  he  went  to  Newbury-port,  and  called  on  Mr.  Mur- 
ray, the  Presbyterian  minister  of  the  place.  When  Mr.  Mur- 
ray found  that  he  belonged  to  Mr.  Wesley's  party — in  distinc- 
tion from  the  Whitefieldian  Methodists — he  very  politely 
offered  to  treat  Mr.  Lee  as  a  gentleman,  and  as  a  Christian, 
but  not  as  a  preacher,  assigning  as  a  reason  that  he  had  re- 
cently been  informed  by  letter  that  a  preacher  of  the  Wesley- 
an  party,  had  lately  been  up  the  Connecticut  River,  and  had 
held  meetings  in  four  diflerent  places  in  one  day.  Mr.  Lee 
candidly  acknowledged  that  he  was  the  guilty  man  ;  and  as 
he  could  not  secure  Mr.  Murray's  pulpit,  he  was  thankful  at 
having  the  privilege  of  preaching  in  the  court-house. 

After  making  a  short  tour  to  New  Hampshire  and  other 
places,  he  returned  to  Boston,  where  he  not  only  preached  on 
the  Common,  but  in  a  private  house,  and  also  in  a  Baptist 
Church,  and  on  the  next  Sabbath  preached  again  on  the 
Common,  to  a  congregation  of  five  thousand  people.  He  thus 
pursued  his  way  from  place  to  place,  preaching  day  and  night 


238  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

wherever  he  found  an  opening,  so  that  during  this  Conference 
year  he  travelled  several  thousand  miles,  visited  six  States, 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  large  towns,  and  villages  of  New 
England.  In  reference  to  these  labors  he  says  :  "  In  most 
places  I  have  met  with  a  much  kinder  reception  than  I  could 
have  expected,  among  persons  holdmg  principles  so  difierent 
from  mine  :  but  yet  I  have  been  much  opposed  and  have  been 
under  the  disagreeable  necessity  of  spending  much  of  my  time 
in  talking  on  controverted  points,  sometimes  in  public  and  oft- 
times  in  private.  When  I  was  opposed,  if  I  discovered  an 
inclination  to  wave  the  discourse,  they  would  immediately 
conclude  that  my  principles  were  so  bad,  that  I  was  afraid  to 
let  them  be  knov/n ;  and  if  I  were  silent,  it  would  all  go  for 
truth.  For  these  reasons  I  have  been  led  to  debate  the  mat- 
ter with  the  principal  part  of  those  who  have  spoken  to  me 
with  a  calm  spirit." 

Mr.  Lee  attended  the  Conference  of  1790,  in  New  York, 
and  was  appointed  to  Boston,  as  his  field  of  labor  for  the  en- 
suing year.  He  also  consented  to  receive  ordination,  and  was 
privately  ordained  deacon,  by  Bishop  Asbury,  and  on  the  day 
following,  was  publicly  ordained  elder.  After  the  adjourn- 
ment of  Conference,  he  proceeded  immediately  to  his  appoint- 
ed field  of  labor,  and  arrived  on  Saturday  the  13th  of  Novem- 
ber. Not  being  able  to  secure  a  place  wherein  to  preach  the 
next  day,  he  went  to  hear  a  Universalist  but  was  not  much 
edified.  During  the  next  week  he  had  great  and  heavy  tri- 
als. He  took  much  pains  to  get  a  house  to  preach  in,  but  all 
in  vain,  A  few  friends  also  tried,  but  with  no  better  success. 
As  the  weather  was  cold  and  wet,  the  Common  was  out  of 
the  question  ;  but  Sabbath  after  Sabbath,  and  week  after 
week  passed  away,  and  Mr.  Lee  found  no  place  wherein  to 
invite  a  congregation.  On  the  30th  of  November,  a  gentle- 
man went  with  him  to  the  High  Sheriff,  for  the  purpose  of 
obtaining  the  use  of  the  court-house.     The  latter  informed 


JESSE    LEE.  239 

him,  that  the  clerk  of  the  Court  had  the  disposing  of  the  house, 
and  that  he  must  apply  to  him.  So  they  went  to  the  clerk, 
but  he  very  abruptly  refused,  and  after  hearing  him  talk 
awhile,  Mr.  Lee  left  him,  more  discouraged  than  ever.  On 
the  following  Thursday,  a  friend  went  to,  and  told  him  that 
he  had  used  every  possible  means  to  get  a  particular  school- 
house  for  him  to  preach  in,  but  had  at  last  received  a  positive 
denial.  Being  thus  shut  out  of  the  metropolis  of  New  Eng- 
land, he  on  the  13th  of  December,  left  the  city  and  went  to 
Lynn,  about  twelve  miles  distant,  -where  he  was  hospitably 
received,  and  where  he  spent  about  a  week  in  preaching,  vis- 
iting, &c.,  and  where  he  felt  greatly  encouraged.  He  then 
returned  to  Boston,  where  everything  appeared  as  dark  and 
forbidding  as  before.  He  was  obliged  to  get  a  new  boarding- 
place,  and  when  he  had  settled  his  bill  for  former  board,  he 
had  but  two  shillings  and  a  penny  (34  cents)  left,  and  this  he 
would  not  have  had,  if  a  person  a  few  days  previously,  had 
not  purchased  a  pamphlet  that  he  kept  for  his  o\ati  use,  and 
in  this  manner  enabled  him  to  discharge  his  bill.  As  it  was, 
Mr.  Lee  felt  thankful  that  he  had  the  means  to  discharge  his 
pecuniary  obligations,  and  said,  "  If  I  can  always  have  two 
sliillings  by  me,  beside  paying  all  I  owe,  I  think  I  shall  be 
satisfied." 

Notwithstanding  all  these  discouragements,  Mr.  Lee  linger- 
ed around  Boston  until  he  had  an  opportunity  of  delivering 
his  message  in  a  private  house,  and  his  word  took  efiect  on 
the  hearts  of  some,  who  were  brought  to  feel  the  force  of  di- 
vine truth.  From  the  relation  of  the  above  facts,  the  reader 
may  judge  of  the  impediments  and  obstacles  that  were  placed 
in  the  way  of  the  introduction  of  Methodism  into  New  Eng- 
land, and  especially  into  the  city  of  Boston,  which  has  since 
become  so  famous  for  its  Methodist  Churches  and  congrega- 
tions, and  where  in  the  year  1852,  the  General  Conference 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  is  destined  to  hold  its 


240  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

quadrennial  session.  What  a  change  has  thus  been  wrought 
by  the  mighty  power  of  God  I  The  remainder  of  this  Confer- 
ence year  Mr.  Lee  spent  in  Boston,  Lynn,  Marblehead,  and 
various  other  places. 

At  the  Conference  of  1791,  Mr.  Lee  was  appointed  presid- 
jns:  elder  of  the  New  England  district,  and  that  the  reader 
may  judge  of  the  success  of  his  former  labors  in  this  rather 
unpromising  field,  it  is  proper  to  observe  that  his  district  em- 
braced six  circuits,  with  eleven  circuit  preachers,  all  raised 
principally  through  the  labors  of  this  indomitable  pioneer. 
During  this  year  he  travelled  many  hundreds  of  miles,  preach- 
ed three  hundred  and  twenty-one  sermons,  gave  twenty-four 
public  exhortations,  and  read  twenty-one  authors,  comprising 
over  five  thousand  pages,  besides  his  daily  Bible  reading  I 

At  the  Conference  of  1792,  he  was  appointed  presiding 
elder  over  a  small  district,  comprising  only  four  circuits, 
another  elder  having  been  appointed  to  a  portion  of  his  former 
extensive  charge ;  and  such  had  been  the  growth  of  Method- 
ism in  New  England  since  the  time  of  Mr.  Lee's  first  visit, 
that  in  1793,  an  annual  Conference  was  held  in  Lynn  on  the 
first  of  August.  At  this  latter  Conference,  the  subject  of  this 
chapter  was  appointed  to  the  Province  of  Maine,  a  place  at 
that  period  very  far  removed  from  the  influences  of  Method- 
ism, there  being  no  circuit  formed  nearer  to  it  than  two  hun- 
dred miles  distant.  It  was  also  nearly  destitute  of  the  min- 
istry of  other  churches,  the  country  being  new  and  very 
sparsely  populated,  and  the  most  of  the  inhabitants  being  com- 
paratively poor.  This  appointment  would  no  doubt  have 
been  somewhat  trying  to  the  iaith  and  patience  of  some  ex- 
presiding  elders,  but  Jesse  Lee  liad  a  willing  heart  to  go  to 
any  place  where  souls  stood  in  need  of  salvation.  So  bidding 
adieu  to  his  warm-hearted  Methodist  brethren  in  Lynn,  he 
commenced  his  lonely  journey  for  that  distant  field.  The 
people  generally  received  him  gladly,  and  he  was  instrumen- 


JESSE    LEE.  £4} 

tal  during  the  year,  in  doing  much  good  in  difterent  portions 
of  the  province.  At  the  next  Conference,  he  was  appointed 
to  New  Hampshire  district,  where  he  also  labored  efficiently 
and  successfully,  and  on  the  21st  of  June,  1794,  had  the  sat- 
isfaction of  preaching  a  dedication  sermon  in  a  new  church, 
in  Readfield,  being  the  first  Methodist  Church  in  the  Province 
of  Maine. 

A  few  weeks  later,  Mr,  Lee  had  the  still  greater  satisfac- 
tion of  laying  the  corner-stone  of  the  first  Methodist  Church 
in  the  city  of  Boston.  A  small  Society  had  been  formed  here 
in  1790,  and  for  five  years  Mr.  Lee  had  been  endeavoring  to 
promote  its  interests  and  to  erect,  if  possible,  a  place  of  wor- 
ship ;  at  length,  on  the  8th  of  August,  the  few  brethren  ven- 
tured to  begin  the  important  enterprise,  and  the  corner-stone 
was  laid  by  Mr.  Lee  with  all  due  solemnities.  Mr.  Lee  at 
this  time  remained  several  weeks  in  the  city,  and  although 
the  Methodists  were  now  in  possession  of  a  "hired  house," 
wherein  to  worship,  yet  as  it  would  accommodate  compara- 
tively but  few  hearers,  resorted  again  to  the  Common.  Having 
thus  "set  things  in  order"  in  Boston,  he  again  set  out  to  su- 
perintend the  interests  of  his  extensive  district.  In  Province- 
town,  he  sto])ped  and  preached  twice  for  the  encouragement 
of  the  Society.  In  this  place,  the  little  band  of  Methodists 
had  resolved  to  build  a  church,  to  prevent  which,  a  town- 
meeting  had  been  called,  which  voted  that  the  Methodists 
should  not  be  allowed  to  have  a  house  of  worship  in  that 
town  I  Notwithstanding  the  decree  of  the  town,  the  Society 
resolved  to  proceed  in  the  erection  of  the  building.  Accord- 
mgly,  the  materials  were  collected,  but  a  company  of  daring 
spirits,  led  on  by  the  chief  men  in  the  town,  went  one  night 
and  removed  the  materials  to  another  place,  constructed  the 
effigy  of  a  Methodist,  and  tarred  and  feathered  it.  Mr.  Lee 
went  to  see  the  ruins,  and  felt  confident  that  God  would  yet 
"  cause  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  him"  in  that  town. 

16 


242  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

For  several  years  Mr.  Lee  filled  the  important  office  of 
presiding  elder  in  the  Eastern  States,  and  in  1797  was  ap- 
pointed by  Bishop  Asbury  to  preside  over  the  deliberations  of 
the  New  England  Conference,  at  its  session  in  Wilbraham, 
Mass.,  the  latter  being  unable  to  attend  on  account  of  indis- 
position. The  bishop  also  required  him,  after  Conference,  to 
proceed  on  a  tour  to  Georgia,  Kentucky,  and  other  southern 
States,  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  him  in  his  episcopal  duties, 
which  directions  Mr.  Lee  cheerfully  obeyed  ;  and  at  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  of  1797,  was  requested  by  that  body  to  fill 
Bishop  Asbury's  appointments  until  the  next  spring.  After 
completing  this  tour,  he  returned  again  to  the  north,  attended 
several  Conferences  with  Bishop  Asbury,  and  then  proceeded 
southward  again,  and  thus  he  continued  for  several  years  to 
be  the  travelling  companion  and  assistant  of  the  venerable 
bishop. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1800,  it  became  necessary  to 
elect  an  additional  bishop,  especially  as  Dr.  Coke  would  be 
absent  from  Europe  but  a  short  time,  at  any  given  period, 
and  as  Bishop  Asbury  had  become  quite  infirm  by  age  and 
severe  trial.  When  the  election  v/as  made,  there  were  but 
two  candidates  in  the  field,  Messrs.  Whatcoat  and  Lee  (see 
life  of  Bishop  Whatcoat),  and  although  all  other  circumstan- 
ces being  equal,  Mr.  Lee  would  no  doubt  have  been  the 
choice  of  a  large  majority  of  the  preachers,  yet  in  obedience 
to  the  formerly  expressed  wishes  of  Mr.  Wesley,  and  in  defer- 
ence to  the  age  and  experience  of  Mr.  Whatcoat,  the  latter 
by  a  few  votes  in  the  majority  was  duly  elected  Bishop  of  the 
Church.  From  intimations  given  by  Bishop  Asbury  to  Mr. 
Lee,  the  latter  inferred  that  the  preachers  would  generally 
vote  for  him,  in  case  an  additional  bishop  was  made ;  and  as 
there  appeared  to  be  considerable  spirit  among  Mr.  What- 
coat's  friends  in  relation  to  the  matter,  and  a  few  words 
dropped  prejudicial  to  the  claims  and  qualifications  of  Mr. 


JESSE    LEE.  243 

Lee,  the  latter  felt  deeply  disappointed  at  the  result,  and  no 
doubt  was  wounded  somewhat  in  his  feelings.  "What  added 
to  this  honest  grief,  was  a  report  which  had  been  circulated 
by  some  person  unknown,  to  prevent  his  election,  to  the  effect 
that  Bishop  Asbury  had  said  that  brother  Lee  had  imposed 
on  him  and  on  the  connection  for  a  length  of  time,  and  that 
the  bishop  "  would  have  got  rid  of  him  long  ago,  if  he  could." 
When  tliis  report  reached  Mr.  Lee's  ears,  he  went  directly  to 
Bishop  Asbury,  who,  according  to  the  expectation  of  Mr.  Lee, 
at  once  contradicted  the  false  statement,  and  expressed  an 
earnest  desire  that  Mr.  Lee  should  continue  to  act  as  his  as- 
sistant, and  as  soon  as  possible,  the  worthy  bishop  made  the 
same  statement  in  open  Conference.  Thus  it  is,  that  the  best 
of  men  are  made  the  subjects  of  calumny  and  reproach,  and 
thus  Mr.  Lee  lost  an  election  to  the  highest  office  in  the 
Church,  to  which  he  was  justly  entitled,  and  ^Yhich  no  doubt 
would  have  been  awarded  him,  had  it  not  been  for  the  above 
false  report.  We  are  not,  however,  to  infer  that  Mr.  Lee 
"  desired  the  office  of  a  bishop"  merely  for  the  sake  of  the 
honor  which  such  an  office  would  confer  upon  him.  From 
the  known  humility  of  the  man,  and  his  perfect  antipathy  to 
everything  like  worldly  display,  such  a  conclusion  would  at 
once  be  unreasonable  and  absurd.  If  he  was  arnbitious  in 
this  respect,  it  was  such  an  ambition  as  aimed  solely  at  the 
good  of  the  Church,  and  the  salvation  of  mankind  ;  and  if 
disappointed  in  his  expectations,  it  was  a  disappointment 
arising  from  a  mistaken  view  of  the  feelings  of  the  preachers 
towards  him.  Mr.  Lee  had  many  warm  friends  among  the 
preachers  ;  he  knew  not  that  he  had  any  enemies  ;  nor  had 
he  just  reason  to  conclude  that  those  who  voted  for  the  suc- 
cessful candidate  were  such,  nor  that  in  preferring  another  can- 
didate, they  lacked  confidence  in  his  piety,  integrity,  or  ability. 
Although  disappointed,  however,  for  the  moment,  he  did 
not  allow  his  personal  feelings  to  dampen  his  ardor  in  tho 


244  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

cause  of  his  Divine  Master.  Indeed  we  may  infer  that  his 
chagrin  was  but  momentary,  as  in  his  journal  he  states,  "We 
never  had  as  good  a  General  Conference  before  ;  we  had  the 
greatest  speaking,  and  the  greatest  union  of  affections  that  we 
had  ever  had  on  a  like  occasion."  A  few  days  after  the  ad- 
journment of  the  General  Conference,  Bishops  Asbury  and 
Whatcoat  appointed  Mr.  Lee  to  act  as  an  assistant  to  the 
bishops  at  the  yearly  Conferences,  and  informing  him  that  he 
was  at  liberty  to  make  his  own  appointments,  South  or  East, 
as  might  suit  his  convenience.  He,  however,  preferred  taking 
a  single  circuit,  and  after  having  made  a  tour  through  the 
New  England  States,  he  went  to  New  York  city,  where  he 
labored  and  preached  until  the  next  spring,  when  he  returned 
to  Virginia,  and  was  appointed  presiding  elder  of  the  South 
District,  and  for  several  years  in  succession,  he  filled  several 
important  places  in  the  southern  section  of  the  work. 

In  1808,  he  once  more  visited  the  northern  Conferences, 
and  while  in  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  he,  for  the  first  time  in 
his  life,  heard  the  bell  in  a  Methodist  Church  ring  to  call  the 
people  to  meeting  ;  he  took  no  exceptions  to  the  bell,  but  he 
warmly  protests  against  the  square  pews  in  the  church,  by 
which  a  portion  of  the  congregation  were  obliged  to  sit  with 
their  back^toward  the  preacher.  He  also  objected  to  the  sale 
of  the  pews,  and  the  promiscuous  sitting  of  men  and  women 
together,  but  notwithstanding  these  prejudices,  he  preached 
and  found  that  God  could  bless  his  word,  even  in  a  pewed 
church  !  He  then  went  to  Boston,  where  the  Methodists  had 
erected  a  large  church  in  addition  to  the  old  one.  He  preached 
in  both,  but  felt  the  most  freedom  in  the  "  old  meeting-house," 
and  although  the  new  one  was  large  and  elegant,  he  did  not 
like  it  because  it  was  pewed.  After  having  visited  his  old 
friends  in  New  England,  in  different  places,  and  having  re- 
joiced, wept,  and  prayed  with  them,  and  preached  to  them, 
he  again  turned  his  course  toward  the  South. 


JESSE    LEE.  246 

In  1809,  Mr.  Lee  published  a  Hislorj'  of  the  Methodists  in 
America,  and  thus  had  the  honor  of  being  the  first  Methodist 
historian  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  Being  in  the  vicinity 
of  Washington,  D.  C,  superintending  the  publication  of  this 
work,  he  was  elected  Chaplain  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, a  post  which  he  filled  with  credit  to  himself  and  the 
Church  of  which  he  was  a  minister,  and  with  great  accepta- 
bility to  the  members  of  Congress,  as  may  be  inferred  from  the 
fact  of  his  re-election  to  the  same  office  at  the  next  session  of 
that  honorable  body,  and  also  at  the  sessions  of  1811,  1812, 
and  1813.  In  1814  he  was  chosen  Chaplain  of  the  Senate, 
which  post  he  also  filled  with  distinguished  honor.  But,  al- 
though thus  repeatedly  called  to  officiate  to  the  nation's  repre- 
sentatives, Mr.  Lee  never  forgot  that  he  was  a  Methodist  preach- 
er, and  hence  in  the  interims  of  the  sessions  of  Congress,  he 
filled  such  places  as  were  assigned  him  by  the  authorities  of 
the  Church,  his  last  appointment  being  at  Annapolis,  the  cap- 
ital of  Maryland. 

In  August,  1816,  Mr.  Lee  attended  a  camp-meeting  on  the 
eastern  shore  of  Maryland,  where  he  preached  twice,  the  text 
for  the  latter  sermon  being  2  Peter  iii.  18,  "But  grow  in 
grace.''  He  preached  a  most  fervid  and  glowing  discourse, 
which  proved  to  be  his  last  one,  as  in  the  evening  of  the  same 
day  he  was  seized  with  a  severe  chill,  which  gave  place  to 
fever.  On  the  following  day  he  was  removed  to  Hillsboro', 
where  he  was  received  into  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Sellers,  where 
he  lingered  until  the  12th  of  the  following  month.  On  the 
day  before  his  death,  his  soul  was  so  overwhelmed  with  the 
love  of  God,  that  he  was  constrained  to  cry  out,  "  Glory ! 
glory!  glory  I  hallelujah!  Jesus  reigns!"  Almost  his  last 
words  were,  "  Give  my  respects  to  Bishop  M'Kendree,  and  tell 
him  that  I  die  in  love  with  all  the  preachers  ;  that  I  love  him, 
and  that  he  lives  in  my  heart,"  and  on  the  12th  day  of  Sep- 
tember, 1816,  Jesse  Lee's  triumphant  spirit 


246  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

"  Passed  through  the  crystal  ports  of  light, 
And  seized  eternal  youth." 

He  died  in  the  fifty-ninth  year  of  his  age,  and  thirty-sixth  of 
his  itinerant  ministry,  beloved  and  regretted  by  a  large  circle 
of  friends  in  all  parts  of  the  American  continent. 

A  few  observations  on  the  character  of  Mr.  Lee,  will  close 
this  chapter.  From  the  incidents  already  related  in  the  life 
and  labors  of  Mr.  Lee,  none  can  doubt  his  piety,  or  the  deep 
and  fervent  desire  which  he  possessed  to  glorify  God,  and 
benefit  his  fellow-men.  On  no  other  principle  can  we  ac- 
count for  his  multifarious  labors,  and  self-denying  efforts  to  do 
good.  As  we  have  seen,  he  obtained  a  clear  evidence  of  his 
acceptance  with  God,  and  the  love  of  God  and  of  man  was 
the  ruling  passion  of  his  after-life. 

As  a  preacher,  Mr.  Lee  was  far  above  mediocrity ;  for  fer- 
vency and  zeal  in  his  pulpit  efforts,  he  probably  had  no  supe- 
rior in  those  days  of  primitive  simplicity  and  fervor  ;  and  in 
addition  to  his  zeal,  he  possessed  the  happy  art  of  clothing  his 
thoughts  in  rich  and  appropriate  language.  But  what  gave 
him  the  greatest  success  as  a  preacher  was  the  manifest  sin- 
cerity of  the  man,  combined  with  a  soul  full  of  pathos  and  ten- 
derness which  frequently  displayed  itself  through  flowing  tears, 
which  by  the  sympathy  of  our  nature  would  as  frequently 
produce  an  impression  on  the  hearts,  and  draw  tears  from  the 
eyes  of  others.  In  this  respect  if  in  no  other,  he  was  one  of 
nature's  orators,  a  preacher  whose  chief  characteristic  was  the 
power  of  eloquence  which  pleased  not  so  much  the  ear,  as  it 
affected  and  subdued  the  heart. 

To  profound  learning,  Mr.  Lee  never  laid  any  claim ;  as  he 
frequently  said,  he  had  just  education  enough  to  carry  him 
through  the  ivorld.  We  are  not,  however,  to  understand 
that  he  was  an  ignorant  man  in  the  common  acceptation  of 
the  term.     A  person  who  was  familiar  with  the  doctrines 


JESSE    LEE.  247 

and  precepts  of  the  word  of  God,  as  was  the  subject  of  our 
sketch,  cannot  be  an  ignorant  man.  One  who  has  travelled 
as  much,  preached  as  frequently,  and  observed  men  and  ac- 
tions as  long  as  did  Jesse  Lee,  cannot  in  the  nature  of  things 
be  a  mere  ignoramus  ;  true,  he  might  not  have  had  that 
knowledge  of  the  classics  which  would  no  doubt  have  made 
him  still  more  extensively  useful  and  brilliant  as  a  minister 
of  the  Gospel,  but  he  did  possess  that  knowledge,  without 
which  all  other  acquirements  are  vain — a  knowledge  of  sin 
forgiven,  and  of  the  way  and  plan  of  salvation.  But  in  ad- 
dition to  this,  he  had  a  respectable  amount  of  knowledge  as 
it  rebi'os  to  the  more  common  branches  of  science.  Of  this 
fact  Ills  published  works  afford  abundant  evidence  ;  and  the 
fact  also  that  he  was  chosen  for  six  successive  sessions  of  Con- 
gress to  the  important  and  dignified  station  of  Chaplain,  proves 
that  he  was  not  a  mere  novice,  or  destitute  of  the  necessary 
qualifications  for  a  minister  of  Jesiis  Christ. 

It  is  proper  to  look  at  him  also,  in  another  aspect — as  the 
pioneer  of  ISTew  England  Methodism — and  it  is  in  this  rela- 
tion, that  he  sustained  to  the  revival  of  religion  in  the  East- 
ern States,  under  the  instrumentality  of  Methodist  doctrines, 
and  Methodist  preachers,  that  Jesse  Lee  appears  in  all  his 
moral  grandeur  and  true  greatness.  In  these  northern  regions, 
far  from  friends  and  home,  he  single-handed  wages  war  with 
the  religious  formality  and  bigotry  of  the  New  England 
Churches,  and  it  is  greatly  owing  to  his  indefatigable  labors 
and  indomitable  perseverance,  that  the  Eastern  States  are 
indebted,  not  only  for  what  of  Methodism  they  now  possess, 
but  in  a  great  measure  for  that  spiritual  Christianity  which 
now  dwells  so  largely  in  the  bosom  of  other  evangelical 
Churches  in  New  England ;  and  we  cannot  repress  the  ut- 
terance of  our  thoughts  when  we  say  it  is  our  candid  belief, 
that  had  Jesse  Lee  visited  those  States  a  half-century  sooner 
than  he  did,  there  would  at  the  time  of  his  actual  labors 


248  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

among  that  people,  have  been  less  formality,  less  Unitarianism, 
less  latent  infidelity ;  and  had  his  labors  been  be'stowed  a  half- 
century  later,  instead  of  what  we  now  fi.nd  of  genuine  piety, 
and  orthodoxy  of  sentiment,  a  dark  cloud  of  skepticism,  and 
Unitarian  rationalism,  with  a  much  larger  quantum  of  Uni- 
versalism,  would  have  brooded  over  the  rocky  shores  of  New 
England.  Jesse  Lee,  like  the  apocalyptic  angel,  flying  from 
town  to  town,  and  from  State  to  State,  preaching  the  doc- 
trines of  repentance  and  faith,  was  in  an  important  sense  the 
apostle  of  New  England.     But  here  our  reflections  must  end. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

REV.    BENJAMIN    ABBOTT. 

Benjamn  Abbott  was  born  on  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  in  the 
year  1732.  But  little  is  knoAvn  in  regard  to  his  early  life,  as 
he  did  not  embrace  the  religion  of  the  Saviour,  until  he  was 
forty  years  of  age.  His  father  dying  while  Benjamin  was  a 
lad,  and  having  made  provision  in  his  will,  that  his  sons 
should  be  put  out  to  learn  trades,  the  subject  of  this  chapter 
was  indented  as  an  apprentice  to  a  hatter,  in  Philadelphia, 
where  he  soon  fell  into  bad  company,  and  became  addicted  to 
card-playing,  cock-fighting,  and  many  other  evil  practices. 
Leaving  his  master  before  the  expiration  of  his  apprenticeship, 
he  went  to  New  Jersey,  and  labored  on  a  farm  with  one  of 
his  brothers.  Soon  after  this  he  married,  but  the  domestic 
relation,  instead  of  having  the  effect  of  drawing  him  into  the 
paths  of  virtue,  only  seemed  to  rekindle  the  desire  for  vicious 
indulgence.  So  that  he  continued  to  live  in  rebellion  against 
God,  drinking,  fighting,  swearing,  gambling,  and  attending 
fairs  and  other  places  of  public  resort,  for  the  purpose  of  meet- 
ing with  those  of  his  own  disposition,  and  sinful  habits.  In  a 
word,  he  was  what  even  the  world  would  call,  a  very  wicked 
man,  and  the  only  redeeming  trait  in  his  character  at  that 
time,  appears  to  have  been  a  disposition  to  treat  his  family 
kindly,  and  provide  for  them  comfortably,  a  trait  not  often 
found  in  the  case  of  the  hardened  inebriate. 

Yet  during  this  wild  career  of  wickedness  and  sin,  Abbott 


250  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

was  not  without  a  respect  for  religion.  He  even  attended 
church,  and  professed  to  be  a  Presbyterian  in  sentiment,  and 
was  often  convicted  of  his  sins  and  wickedness,  by  the  Spirit 
of  God  which  spoke  in  thunder  tones  to  his  guilty  conscience, 
and  alarmed  him  of  his  danger  and  his  doom.  Often  did  he 
make  promises  of  amendment,  and  as  often  did  he  forget  to 
fulfil  them.  When  he  was  about  thirty-three  years  of  age, 
he  had  a  dream  of  being  carried  to  hell,  where  the  devils  put 
him  into  a  vice,  and  tormented  him  till  his  body  was  all  cov- 
ered with  blood  :  he  was  then  hurried  into  another  apartment, 
where  he  was  pierced  by  the  stings  of  scorpions,  and  as  fast 
as  he  would  pull  one  out,  another  would  strike  him  ;  he  was 
next  introduced  to  a  lake  of  fire,  into  which  the  devils  were 
throwing  the  souls  of  rrien  and  women.  Two  regiments  of 
devils  were  moving  through  the  chambers  of  the  damned, 
blowing  up  the  flames,  and  when  it  came  his  turn  to  be 
thrown  in,,  one  devil  took  him  by  the  head,  another  by  the 
feet,  and  while  in  the  act  of  throwing  him  in,  he  awoke,  and 
found  it  was  a  dream.  We  make  mention  of  this  dream  not 
because  of  its  singularity,  but  as  a  specimen  of  the  horrors 
which  haunt  the  pillow  of  the  wretched  inebriate.  The  ef- 
fect of  such  terrible  and  awful  visions  of  the  night, — which 
appeared  as  realities  to  him, —  was  such,  that  he  would  prom- 
ise solemnly  to  amend  his  ways ;  but,  alas,  poor  man,  he  had 
not  as  yet  learned  the  necessity  of  seeking  divine  aid  in  so  do- 
ing ;  thus  he  lived  until  he  was  forty  years  of  age,  a  misera- 
ble sinner,  being  "  without  hope,  and  without  God  in  the 
world,"  tormented  by  day  and  by  night,  and  yet  in  his  igno- 
rance, not  knowing  precisely  how  to  escape  from  his  apparent- 
ly hopeless  condition. 

One  Sabbath-day  his  wife  attended  a  Methodist  meeting,  a 
few  miles  distant  from  their  place  of  residence.  On  her  re- 
turn, Abbott  asked  her  how  she  liked  the  preacher.  She 
answered  that  he  was  as  great  a  preacher  as  she  ever  heard 


BENJAMIN    ABBOTT.  251 

in  her  life,  and  persuaded  her  husband  to  go  and  hear  for 
himself.  Accordingly,  on  the  next  Sabbath,  Mr.  Abbott  went 
and  heard  a  sermon  from  the  text,  "  Come  unto  me  all  ye 
that  labor,  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.'" 
Says  Mr.  Abbott  in  relation  to  the  services,  "  The  preacher 
was  much  engaged,  and  the  people  were  crying  all  through 
the  house  ;  this  greatly  surprised  me,  for  I  never  had  seen  the 
like  before.  The  sermon  made  no  impression  on  me  ;  but 
when  he  came  to  the  application,  he  said,  '  It  may  be,  that 
some  of  you  may  think  that  there  is  neither  God,  nor  devils, 
nor  hell,  only  a  guilty  conscience  ;  and  indeed,  my  friends, 
that  is  bad  enough.  But  I  assure  you  that  there  is  both 
heaven  and  hell,  God  and  devils.'  "  Mr.  Abbott  now  re- 
membered his  dreams,  and  his  misspent  life,  and  all  his  sins 
were  brought  vividly  before  his  mind,  and  he  returned  home 
under  the  influence  of  deep  conviction,  but  still  was  ignorant 
of  the  waj''  of  salvation. 

Soon  after  this,  the  preacher  went  to  preach  in  the  neigh- 
borhood where  Mr.  Abbott  resided,  and  as  Methodist  preach- 
ing was  a  new  thing,  many  went  out  to  hear  him  ;  he 
preached  with  power,  and  the  word  took  such  hold  of  Mr. 
Abbott,  that  it  "  shook  every  joint  in  his  body,"  and  he  cried 
aloud  for  mercy.  When  the  sermon  was  ended,  the  people 
flocked  around  the  preacher  and  began  to  dispute  on  doc- 
trines ;  as  for  Abbott,  they  said  he  was  going  mad.  He  re- 
turned home  in  great  distress  of  mind,  and  having  been 
brought  up  under  the  teachings  of  Calvinism,  and  believing 
in  the  doctrines  of  election  and  reprobation,  he  concluded  that 
he  was  a  reprobate,  and  that  he  must  be  damned,  do  what  he 
would.  From  this  time  onward,  his  burden  of  sin  increased, 
and  he  was  tempted  to  commit  suicide,  and  no  doubt  would 
have  done  so,  had  it  not  been  for  the  reflection  that  the  tor- 
ment of  the  damned  is  still  more  insupportable  than  the  up- 
braiding of  a  guilty  conscience  ;  at  length,  after  suffering  the 


252  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

most  intense  anguish  of  spirit,  and  having  been  properly  in- 
structed in  relation  to  the  way  of  salvation  by  faith,  he  ven- 
tured his  all  on  Jesus  Christ,  aiid  found  rest  to  his  soul  on  the 
12th  day  of  October,  1772.  "My  heart,"  he  says,  "felt  as 
light  as  a  bird,  being  relieved  of  that  load  of  guilt  which  be- 
fore had  bowed  down  my  spirits,  and  my  body  felt  as  active 
as  when  I  was  eighteen,  so  that  the  outward  and  inward 
man  were  both  animated."  "  I  arose  and  called  up  the 
family,  and  took  down  the  Testament,  and  the  first  place  I 
opened  to,  was  the  ninth  chapter  of  Acts,  where  Saul  breathed 
out  threatenings  and  slaughter  against  the  Cliurch  or  disciples 
of  the  Lord,  and  if  I  had  had  a  congregation  I  could  have 
preached,  but  having  none  but  my  own  family,  I  expounded 
the  chapter  and  exhorted  them,  and  then  sang  and  prayed. 
After  breakfast,  I  told  my  wife  that  I  must  go  and  tell  the 
neighbors  what  the  Lord  had  done  for  my  soul.  The  first 
place  I  went  to,  the  man  and  his  wife  were  both  profes- 
sors of  religion  and  members  of  the  Baptist  Church  ;  I  expect- 
ed they  knew  what  these  things  were,  and  would  rejoice 
with  me ;  but  to  my  great  surprise,  when  I  related  my  ex- 
perience, and  told  what  God  had  done  for  my  soul,  it  ap- 
peared as  strange  to  them  as  if  I  had  claimed  possession  of 
Old  England,  and  called  it  all  my  own.  I  then  set  out  to 
Jacob  Elwell's  mill,  about  two  miles  oft',  where  I  expected 
to  meet  with  divers  persons,  and  to  liave  an  opportunity  to 
exhort  them,  and  tell  them  what  I  had  found.  On  my  way 
there,  I  exhorted  all  I  met  with  to  turn  to  (jod.  When  I  got 
to  the  mill,  while  I  was  telling  them  my  experience,  and  ex- 
horting them  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  some  laughed, 
and  others  cried,  and  some  thought  I  had  gone  distracted. 
Before  night,  a  report  was  spread  all  through  the  neighbor 
hood  that  I  was  raving  mad ;  at  evening  I  returned  home, 
and  asked  my  wife  about  her  conviction  and  conversion,  ex- 
pecting, as  she  professed  religion,  that  she  knew  what  heart 


BENJAMIN    ABBOTT.  253 

religion  was ;  but  to  my  astonishment,  I  found  she  never  had 
experienced  a  change  of  heart.  She  had  been  awakened 
when  young,  under  a  sermon  of  Mr.  Hunter,  a  Presbyterian 
minister,  which  brought  her  to  prayer,  but  in  progress  of  time 
it  wore  off  again.  About  seven  years  after  that,  as  a  brother 
of  hers  was  sitting  under  a  fence,  watching  for  deer,  another 
man  who  was  also  hunting,  about  sunset,  seeing  his  head 
through  the  fence,  and  taking  it  to  be  a  fox,  shot  and  killed 
him ;  this  unfortunate  affair  gave  her  another  alarm,  which 
brought  her  again  to  prayer  ;  but  this  also  wore  off  in  a  short 
time,  and  she  lived  in  neglect  of  that  duty  until  after  we 
were  married  and  had  three  children ;  at  which  time  the 
measles  came  into  the  family,  and  under  her  afflictions  and 
distress,  she  covenanted  with  God  to  be  more  religious  :  from 
which  time  she  became  a  praying  woman,  and  joined  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  was  looked  upon  as  a  very  religious 
person,  although  she  rested  short  of  conversion,  and  remained 
a  stranger  to  the  new  birth.  I  told  her  that  she  had  no  re- 
ligion, and  was  nothing  more  than  a  strict  Pharisee  ;  this 
gave  her  displeasure,  and  she  asked  me  if  none  had  re- 
ligion but  those  who  knew  it  ?  I  told  her  no,  not  one  ;  for  all 
who  had  it,  must  know  it.*  Next  day  she  went  to  her  min- 
ister, to  know  what  he  thought  of  it.  He  told  her  she  was 
right,  for  people  might  be  good  Christians  and  know  nothing 
about  what  I  insisted  on  ;  and  advised  her  not  to  mind  me, 
for  I  was  expecting  to  be  saved  by  my  works.  This  gave  her 
a  momentary  satisfaction,  and  home  she  came  quite  strong, 
and  attacked  me,  and  related  what  her  minister  had  said  ; 

*  The  author  feels  it  his  duty  to  dissent  from  the  doctrine  here 
taught.  He  believes  that  every  child  of  God  may  know  that  his  sins 
are  forgiven ;  but  he  is  also  convinced  that  some  may  be  the  children 
of  God,  and  through  the  influence  of  improper  religious  instniction, 
may  not  have  so  "  full  an  assurance  of  faith"  as  to  be  able  conscien- 
tiously to  say,  that  they  know  they  are  converted. 


254  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

slie  also  brouglit  a  book  which  he  had  sent  me,  entitled  Bel- 
lamey's  New  Divinity,  in  which  he  insisted  upon  conversion 
before  conviction,  and  faith  before  repentance.  I  read  it  about 
half  through,  and  found  him  a  rigid  predestinarian.  His  doc- 
trine of  decrees,  and  unconditional  election,  and  reprobation, 
BO  confused  my  mind,  that  I  threw  it  by,  determined  to  read 
no  more  in  it,  as  my  own  experience  clearly  proved  to  me 
that  the  doctrines  it  contained  were  false.  Next  day,  my 
wife  carried  the  book  back.  I  desired  her  to  tell  the  minister 
from  me,  that  it  was  full  of  lies,  which  Scripture  and  experience 
both  proved.  He  sent  for  me  to  come  and  see  him  ;  accord- 
ingly, the  day  following  I  went  and  dined  with  him  ;  after 
dinner,  he  requested  all  the  family  to  withdraw  from  the 
dining-room  ;  they  did  so,  and  he  and  I  were  left  alone.  He 
then  told  me  he  understood  that  God  had  done  great  things  for 
me  ;  whereupon,  I  related  my  conviction  and  my  conversion  ; 
he  paid  a  strict  attention  until  I  had  done,  and  then  told  me 
that  I  was  under  strong  delusions  of  the  devil.  He  got  a 
book  out  of  his  libraiy  for  me  to  read  ;  as  he  handed  it  to  me, 
the  Lord  showed  me  by  the  voice  of  his  Spirit  that  the  book 
was  not  fit  for  me.  However,  I  disobeyed  the  Divine  impres- 
sion, and  took  it  at  the  minister's  request ;  I  returned  home 
and  felt  a  temptation  to  doubt,  and  called  to  mind  my  various 
sins,  but  none  of  them  condemned  me.  I  then  thought  upon 
a  particular  sin,  which  I  concluded  would  condemn  me  ;  but 
in  a  moment  I  felt  an  evidence  that  that  sin  was  forgiven  as 
though  separate  from  all  the  rest  that  ever  I  had  committed  ; 
but  recollecting  the  minister  had  told  me  '  I  was  under  strono- 
delusions  of  the  devil,'  it  was  suggested  to  my  mind,  it  may 
be  he  is  right ;  I  went  a  little  out  of  the  road  and  kneeled 
down,  and  prayed  to  God  if  I  was  deceived  to  undeceive  me, 
and  the  Lord  said  to  me,  'Why  do  you  doubt  ?  Is  not  Christ 
all-sufficient  ?  Is  he  not  able  ?  Have  you  not  felt  his  blood 
applied  ?'     I  then  sprang  upon  my  feet  and  cried  out,  Not  all 


BENJAMIN    ABBOTT.  XOO 

the  devils  in  liell,  nor  all  the  predestinarians  on  earth,  shall 
make  me  doubt ;  for  I  knew  that  I  was  converted  :  at  that 
instant  I  was  filled  with  unspeakable  raptures  of  joy." 

We  have  given  these  lengthy  extracts  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  the  exercises  of  Mr.  Abbott's  mind,  after  having  ob- 
tained the  "  adoption  of  a  son,"  and  for  the  purpose  of  show- 
ing the  power  of  grace  in  "  converting  such  a  sinner  from  the 
errors  of  his  ways."  Having  at  length  gained  the  victory 
over  his  doubts  and  temptations,  in  reference  to  his  being 
truly  converted,  the  next  important  question  to  be  decided  by 
him,  was  in  relation  to  the  Church  he  should  join.  He  ac- 
cordingly commenced  reading  the  different  Confessions  of 
Faithj  Articles  of  Religion,  &c.,  of  the  various  Churches,  and 
then  read  the  Bible  from  beginning  to  end,  with  reference  to 
the  same  subject.  His  natural  feelings  Avould  have  prompted 
him  to  join  some  other  Church  than  the  Methodists,  but  after 
delaying  the  matter  for  some  six  months  after  his  conversion, 
and  while  one  day  meditating  prayerfully  upon  the  subject, 
he  exclaimed,  "  I  am  a  Methodist .'  I  am  a  Methodist  I'' 
He  then  returned  home  resolving  to  be  such,  although  he 
knew  that  persecution  and  reproach  would  be  poured  upon 
him  from  every  quarter.  In  a  few  days  after,  he  joined  the 
Methodists,  and  his  wife  being  happily  converted  to  God,  she 
united  with  them  also,  and  in  the  course  of  three  months 
after  his  wife's  conversion,  six  of  their  children  were  also  con- 
verted to  God  ;  a  small  class  was  formed  in  the  neighborhood, 
and  Mr.  Abbott  was  appointed  Leader. 

One  day  being  invited  to  dine  at  the  house  of  a  friend,  Mr. 
Abbott  on  sitting  down  to  the  table  proposed  asking  a  blessing 
upon  the  food  ;  as  soon  as  he  began,  two  workmen  present 
began  to  laugh.  This  was  too  much  for  Abbott  to  endure  in 
silence  ;  he  consequently  rose  and  began  to  exhort  them  in  a 
very   rough    manner,   thmidering  out    hell    and    damnation 


256  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

against  them,  with  tears  in  his  eyes.     This  broke  up  the  din- 
ner, and  neither  of  them  ate  anything  at  that  time. 

Mr.  Abbott  soon  became  a  man  "full  of  faith  and  the  Holy 
Ghost,"  and  his  neighbors  when  sick,  would  send  for  "  Old 
Abbott,"  to  pray  with  them  ;  and  soon  he  received  an  impres- 
sion, that  it  was  his  duty  to  preach  the  Gospel ;  and  as  in 
those  days,  there  was  not  that  degree  of  formality  observed,  as 
at  the  present  day,  in  reference  to  allowing  men  to  preach 
who  thought  themselves  called  to  the  work,  he  appears  to 
have  begun  preaching  before  he  was  called  by  the  voice  of 
the  Church,  but  evidently  not  before  he  had  received  a  call 
from  God.  His  first  efTort  at  preaching  was  on  the  occasion 
of  a  funeral  which  he  had  been  requested  to  attend.  As  soon 
as  it  became  noised  abroad  that  Mr.  Abbott  had  become  a 
preacher,  he  received  frequent  invitations  to  hold  meetings  in 
difierent  neighborhoods.  While  at  one  of  his  appointments 
the  ibllowing  occurrence  took  place  :  Mr.  Abbott  was  preach- 
ing with  great  zeal  and  power,  and  in  the  course  of  his  re- 
marks, said,  "  'For  aught  I  know,  there  may  be  a  murderer  in 
this  congregation  I  Immediately  a  lusty  man  attempted  to  go 
out,  but  when  he  got  to  the  door  he  bawled  out,  and  stretched 
out  both  his  arms  and  ran  backward,  as  though  some  one  had 
been  pressing  on  him  to  take  his  life,  and  he  endeavoring  to 
defend  himself  from  the  attack,  until  he  got  to  the  far  side  of 
the  room,  and  then  fell  backward  against  the  wall,  crying  out 
bitterly,  that  he  was  the  murderer,  for  he  had  killed  a  man 
about  fifteen  years  before  !"  The  man  lay  in  great  anguish 
of  soul,  while  Mr.  Abbott  having  recovered  himself  from  his 
surprise  and  astonishment,  resumed  his  discourse.  The  man 
finally  recovered  himself,  and  went  away  into  parts  unknown, 
and  was  never  seen,  nor  heard  from  afterwards. 

Shortly  after  the  above  occurrence,  the  war  of  the  Revolu- 
tion commenced,  and  in  some  parts  of  the  country,  the  name 
Methodist,  was  considered  as  synonymous  with  Tory.     This 


BENJAMIN    ABBOTT.  257 

arose  from  the  imprudence  of  a  few  of  the  English  Wesleyan 
Missionaries,  who  believing  it  to  be  their  duty  to  "  fear  God 
and.  honor  the  king,"  were  not  sufficiently  guarded  in  their 
expressions  in  reference  to  the  politics  of  the  day ;  hence,  many 
of  the  Methodist  preachers  and  members  were  looked  upon 
with  suspicion,  and  became  the  subjects  of  bitter  persecution 
and  reproach.  This  was  the  case  with  Mr.  Abbott,  who  be- 
cause he  was  a  Methodist,  became  exposed  to  the  sneers  and 
scofl's  of  the  v/icked  and  profane,  who  under  the  pretence  of 
patriotism,  aimed  a  blow  at  vital  Christianity,  and  godly 
sincerity ;  but  Mr.  Abbott  frequently  called  to  mind  the 
words  of  the  Saviour,  "  The  servant  is  not  greater  than  his 
Lord,"  and  he  resolved  to  preach  and  labor  for  his  divine 
Master  even  though  he  should  die  for  it. 

On  a  certain  evening  after  having  preached,  Mr.  Abbott 
was  accosted  by  a  minister  who  was  present,  who  asked  him 
if  he  was  a  Wesleyan.  Mr.  Abbott  replied  in  the  affirma- 
tive Then  said  the  minister,  "  You  deny  the  perseverance 
of  the  saints."  "God  forbid,"  replied  Mr.  Abbott,  "for  none 
can  be  saved  unless  they  persevere  to  the  end."  "  But 
you  believe  in  the  possibility  of  falling  from  grace  ?"  Mr, 
Abbott  said  yes  ;  on  which  the  minister  abruptly  gave  him 
the  lie  ;  but  Mr.  Abbott  appealed  to  the  testimony  of  Scrip- 
ture on  this  point,  and  requested  the  minister  to  explain  a 
passage  in  Ezek.  iii.  20,  21,  but  the  minister  refused.  His 
elder  being  present,  said  he  ought  to  explain  the  passage,  but 
instead  of  doing  so,  he  became  passionate,  and  said  he  was 
brought  up  at  college,  and  certainly  knew  about  these  things, 
but  that  Abbott  was  a  fool,  and  that  he  could  cut  such  a  fel- 
low's throat ;  then  turning  to  his  elder,  he  said,  "  If  there  was 
a  dog's  head  on  your  shoulders,  I  would  cut  it  ofi  :  Do  not 
you  know  the  articles  of  your  own  church  ?  I  will  teach  you 
better."  Mr.  Abbott  told  him  that  the  curse  of  God  was  upon 
all  such  watchmen  as  he  was,  who  did  not  warn  the  peopk 

17 


258  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

against  sin.  The  minister  replied,  that  he  could  cut  such  a 
fellow's  throat,  and  that  it  made  his  blood  boil  to  hear  the 
perseverance  of  the  saints  denied.  Mr.  Abbott  desired  him 
to  explain  the  passage  ;  but  all  the  reply  he  received,  was  : 
"  You  are  a  fool,  you  know  nothing  at  all.  I  was  brought  up 
at  college,  and  I  will  have  you  before  your  betters." 

At  another  time,  in  the  same  town,  while  he  v.'as  preach- 
ing to  a  crowded  house,  a  mob  of  soldiers  came  rushing  in 
with  guns  and  fixed  bayonets,  and  while  the  rest  surrounded 
the  door,  one  went  up  to  him  and  presented  his  gun,  as  though 
he  would  run  him  through.  While  the  soldier  was  piercing 
•with  his  bayonet,  Mr.  Abbott  kept  wielding  the  "  sword  of 
the  Spirit" — the  word  of  God,  proclaiming  the  terrors  of  the 
law  in  a  loud  voice,  which  finally  made  the  assailant  quail 
before  him,  and  retreat  to  the  door.  His  comrades  tried  to 
urge  him  back,  but  he  refused  to  cope  any  longer  with  a  man 
who  was  so  evidently  armed  with  the  "whole  armor  of  God." 
Mr.  Abbott  was  then  allowed  to  finish  his  discourse  in  peace. 
At  his  next  appointment  there,  he  found  one  hundred  men 
under  arms.  When  he  began  to  preach  they  grounded  their 
arms  and  listened  to  him  in  a  quiet  and  orderly  manner.  Mr. 
Abbott,  about  this  time,  also  was  drafted  to  serve  in  the  mili- 
tia, but  as  he  could  not  make  it  appear  right  for  him  to  fight 
with,  and  kill  his  fellow-men,  he  was  excused  by  paying  a 
sum  of  money  sufficient  to  furnish  a  substitute. 

At  one  of  his  appointments,  the  Lord  made  bare  his  arm  so 
that  many  fell  to  the  floor  ;  their  cries  were  great,  and  sinners 
sprang  to  the  dooi's  and  windows,  and  fell  one  upon  another 
in  getting  out :  five  jumped  out  at  a  window,  one  person  called 
out  to  Mr.  Abbott  that  he  was  a  devil.  A  young  man  cried 
to  a  magistrate  present  to  command  the  peace,  but  the  magis- 
trate answered  that  it  was  the  power  of  God.  Another  per- 
son, with  tears  in  his  eyes,  entreated  the  people  to  hold  their 
peace,  to  which  an  old  woman  replied,  "  They  cannot  hold 


BENJAMIN    ABBOTT.  259 

their  peace,  unless  you  cut  out  their  tongues."  At  another 
place,  shortly  after,  while  he  was  preaching,  a  lady  fell  to  the 
floor  ;  Mr.  Abhott  asked  the  people  what  they  thought  of  it, 
and  if  they  did  not  think  it  was  of  the  devil.  "  If  it  is,"  said 
he,  "  when  she  comes  to,  she  will  curse  and  swear,  but  if  it  is 
of  God,  she  will  praise  him."  When  she  "came  to"  she 
praised  the  Lord  with  a  loud  voice. 

Mr.  Abbott  had  the  happy  art  of  always  being  able  to  give 
a  word  of  advice  in  season,  which  frequently  like  bread  cast 
upon  the  waters,  was  found  after  many  days ;  an  instance  of 
this  kind  he  relates  in  his  autobiography. 

"  I  set  out  for  quarterly  meeting,  and  on  my  way  I  stopped 
to  get  my  horse  shod,  and  went  to  a  house  where  I  found  an 
old  woman  spinning,  and  asked  her  for  a  drink  of  water ;  she 
gave  it  to  me.  I  said  to  her,  You  have  given  me  drink  to  re- 
fresh my  body,  I  will  strive  to  give  you  the  waters  of  life,  by 
persuading  you  to  make  application  to  Jesus  Christ.  After 
telling  her  the  terrors  of  the  law,  and  the  promises  of  the 
Gospel,  I  asked  leave  to  pray,  which  she  granted.  Three 
years  after,  as  I  was  on  my  way  to  a  quarterly  meeting,  I  met 
with  about  twenty  persons  who  were  on  their  way  to  the 
same  meeting.  As  soon  as  they  saw  me,  a  %oman  from 
among  them  ran  to  me  and  said,  '  How  do  you  do,  my  father  ?' 
I  asked  her  how  she  came  to  know  me  ?  She  answered,  '  I 
will  soon  convince  you,  I  have  cause  to  know  you  :  do  you 
not  remember  asking  me  for  a  drink  of  water,  and  that  you 
set  before  me  the  plan  of  salvation,  and  went  to  prayer  with 
me  ?  You  had  not  been  gone  half  an  hour  before  I  expected 
to  be  in  hell  every  moment.  I  cried  to  God  mightily  without 
any  intermission,  until  he  set  my  soul  at  liberty  :  therefore,  I 
will  call  you  my  spiritual  father.'  " 

While  Mr.  Abbott  was  thus  instrumental  as  a  Christian  of 
doing  good  to  individuals,  he  by  no  means  neglected  the  spir- 
itual welfare  of  communities ;  hence  we  find  him  urging  the 


260  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

people  where  he  occasionally  labored  to  the  work  of  building 
a  house  for  the  Lord.  In  a  place  called  Penns-Neck,  he  had 
for  four  years  tried  to  prevail  upon  the  inhabitants  to  erect  a 
church,  during  which  period  they  were  obliged  to  meet  in  a 
grove,  when  the  weather  permitted  ;  at  length  growing 
weary  of  their  tardiness,  he_ agreed  with  a  carpenter  to  build 
one,  who  went  on  to  the  spot  at  the  time  appointed.  Mr. 
Abbott  told  him  he  had  no  timber  for  the  building,  and  there- 
fore he  must  go  begging.  He  accordingly  went  to  a  neighbor 
and  said,  "  We  are  going  to  build  a  house  for  God,  what  will 
you  give  towards  it  ?"'  "  Two  sticks  of  timber  for  sills."  He 
then  went  to  a  (Quaker  widow,  and  obtained  two  sticks  more. 
He  Avent  to  another  person,  who  gave  him  timber  enough  to 
complete  the  house.  He  then  told  others  that  they  must 
draw  the  materials,  and  in  four  days  the  latter  were  all 
on  the  spot.  In  a  week  more  the  frame  was  raised,  and  in 
six  weeks  the  job  was  completed,  and  Mr.  Abbott  begged  the 
money  to  pay  the  carpenter.  The  consequence  of  the  erection 
of  this  house  was  the  "  moralizing  and  Christianizing"  of  the 
whole  neighborhood. 

The  following  extracts  will  no  doubt  be  found  interestinar 
by  the  reade?: — "  Next  day  I  set  out  for  my  appointment,  but 
being  a  stranger,  I  stopped  at  a  house  to  inquire  the  way,  and 
the  man  told  me  he  was  just  going  to  that  place,  for  there 
was  to  be  a  Methodist  preacher  there  that  day ;  and  our 
preacher,  said  he,  is  to  be  there  to  trap  him  in  his  discourse, 
and  if  you  will  wait  a  few  minutes  until  a  neighbor  of  mine 
comes,  I  will  go  with  you.  In  a  few  minutes  the  man  came, 
who,  it  seems,  was  a  constable.  So  we  set  off,  and  they  soon 
fell  into  conversation  about  the  preacher,  having  no  idea  of 
my  being  the  man,  as  I  never  wore  black,  or  any  kind  of  garb 
that  indicated  my  being  a  preacher,  and  so  I  rode  unsuspected. 
The  constable  being  a  very  profane  man,  he  swore  by  all  the 
gods  he  had,  good  and  bad,  that  he  would  lose  his  right  arm 


BENJAMIN    ABBOTT.  261 

from  his  body  if  the  Methodist  preacher  did  not  go  to  jail  that 
day.  When  \vc  arrived  at  the  place  appointed,  I  saw  about 
two  hundred  horses  hitched.  I  also  hitched  mine,  and  retired 
into  the  woods,  where  I  prayed,  and  covenanted  with  God, 
upon  my  knees,  that  if  he  stood  by  me  in  this  emergency,  I 
would  be  more  for  him  tlirough  grace  than  ever  I  had  been. 
I  then  arose  and.  went  to  my  horse  with  a  perfect  resignation 
to  the  will  of  God,  whether  to  death  or  to  jail.  I  took  my 
saddle-bags  and  went  to  the  house  ;  the  man  took  me  into  a 
private  room,  and  desired  I  would  preach  in  favor  of  the  war, 
as  I  was  in  a  Presbyterian  settlement.  I  replied  I  should 
preach  as  God  should  direct  me.  He  appeared  very  uneasy, 
and  left  me,  and  just  before  preaching  he  came  in  again,  and 
renewed  his  request,  that  I  would  preach  up  for  war ;  I  re- 
plied as  before,  and  then  followed  him  out  among  the  people, 
where  he  made  proclamation  as  follows  : — Gentlemen,  this 
house  is  my  own,  and  no  gentleman  shall  be  interrupted  in 
my  house  in  time  of  his  discourse,  but  after  he  has  done  you 
may  do  as  you  please.  Thank  God,  said  I,  softly,  that  I  have 
liberty  once  more  to  warn  sinners  before  I  die.  I  then  took 
my  stand,  and  the  house  was  so  crowded  no  one  could  sit 
down.  Some  hundreds  were  round  about  the  door.  I  stood 
about  two  or  three  feet  from  the  constable  who  had  sworn  so 
bitterly.  When  he  saw  that  I  was  the  man  that  he  had  so 
abused  on  the  way,  with  so  many  threats  and  oaths,  his  coun- 
tenance fell,  and  he  turned  pale.  I  gave  out  a  hymn,  but  no 
one  offered  to  sing  ;  I  sung  four  lines,  and  kneeled  down  and 
prayed.  When  I  arose  I  preached  with  great  liberty.  I  felt 
such  jiower  from  God  rest  upon  me  that  I  was  above  the  fear 
of  either  men  or  devils,  not  regai'ding  whether  death  or  jail 
should  be  my  lot.  Looking  forward,  I  saw  a  decent-looking 
man  trembling,  and  tears  flowed  in  abundance,  Avhich  I  soon 
discovered  was  the  case  with  many  others.  After  preaching, 
I  told  them  I  expected  they  wanted  to  know  by  what  author- 


262  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

ity  I  had  come  into  that  country  to  preach.  I  then  told  them 
my  conviction  and  conversion,  the  place  of  my  nativity  and 
place  of  residence ;  also  my  call  to  the  ministry,  and  that 
seven  years  I  had  labored  in  God's  vineyard  ;  that  I  spent  my 
own  money,  and  found  and  wore  my  own  clothes,  and  that  it 
was  the  love  that  I  had  for  their  precious  souls  for  whom 
Christ  died,  that  had  induced  me  to  come  among  them  at  the 
risk  of  my  life  ;  and  then  exhorted  them  to  fly  to  Jesus,  the 
ark  of  safety — that  all  things  were  ready — to  seek,  and  they 
should  find,  to  knock,  and  it  should  be  opened  unto  them. 
By  this  time  the  people  were  generally  melted  into  tears.  I 
then  concluded,  and  told  them  on  that  day  two  weeks  they 
might  expect  preaching  again.  I  mounted  my  horse  and  set 
out  with  a  friendly  duaker  for  a  pilot.  We  had  not  rode 
above  fifty  yards  when  I  heard  one  hallooing  after  us.  I  look- 
ed back  and  saw  about  fifty  running  after  us.  I  then  conclu- 
ded that  to  jail  I  must  go.  We  stopped,  and  when  they 
came  up,  I  crave  your  name,  said  one — I  told  him,  and  so  we 
parted.  He  was  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  was  the  person 
that  I  had  taken  notice  of  in  time  of  preaching,  and  observed 
him  to  be  in  great  anxiety  of  mind.  No  one  ofiered  me  any 
violence ;  but  they  committed  the  next  preacher  on  that  day 
two  weeks,  to  the  common  jail." 

The  following  extract,  though  somewhat  lengthy,  is  both 
instructing  and  amusing  :  "  Next  day  we  went  to  our  appoint- 
ment, where  the  congregation  was  chiefly  Germans,  and  a 
well-behaved  people.  Here  the  Lord  wrought  wonders,  di- 
vers fell  to  the  floor,  and  several  found  peace.  I  lost  both  the 
power  of  my  body  and  use  of  my  speech,  and  cried  out  in  a 
strange  manner.  The  people  also  cried  aloud  ;  here  I  thought 
I  should  frighten  them,  being  in  a  strange  country  and  among 
a  people  of  a  strange  language ;  but  glory  to  God,  it  had  a 
contrary  efiect,  for  they  continued  all  night  in  prayer. 

"  Next  morning,  I  set  out  with  about  twenty  others  for  my 


BENJAMIN    ABBOTT.  263 

appointment,  where  we  found  a  large  congregation.  Wheii 
I  came  to  my  application,  the  power  of  the  Lord  came  in 
such  a  manner,  that  the  people  fell  all  about  the  house,  and 
their  cries  might  be  heard  afar  off.  This  alarmed  the  wicked, 
who  sprang  for  the  doors  in  such  haste,  that  they  fell  one 
over  another  in  heaps.  The  cry  of  mourners  was  so  great,  I 
thought  to  give  out  a  hymn  to  drown  the  noise,  and  desired 
one  of  our  English  friends  to  raise  it,  but  as  soon  as  he  began 
to  sing,  the  power  of  the  Lord  struck  him  and  he  pitched  un- 
der the  table,  and  there  lay  like  a  dead  man.  I  gave  it  out 
again,  and  asked  another  to  raise  it  :  as  soon  as  he  attempted, 
he  fell  also.  I  then  made  the  third  attempt,  and  the  power 
of  God  came  upon  me  in  such  a  manner,  that  I  cried  out,  and 
was  amazed.  I  then  saw  that  I  was  fighting  against  God, 
and  did  not  attempt  to  sing  again.  Mr.  Boehm,  the  owner 
of  the  house,  and  a  preacher  among  the  Germans,  cried  out, 
'I  never  saw  God  in  this  way  before.'  I  replied,  this  is  a 
Pentecost,  father.  '  Yes,  be  sure,'  said  he,  clapping  his  hands, 
'  a  Pentecost,  be  sure  I'  Prayer  was  all  through  the  house, 
up  stairs  and  down.  I  desired  Mr.  Boehra  to  go  to  prayer ; 
he  did  so,  and  five  or  six  of  us  did  the  same.  A  watchnight 
having  been  appointed  for  that  evening,  and  seeing  no  pros- 
pect of  this  meeting  being  over,  although  it  had  begun  at 
eleven  o'clock,  I  told  Boehm  that  we  had  best  quietly  with- 
draw from  the  meeting-house.  When  we  had  got  out  of  the 
door,  a  young  man  came  out  and  laid  hold  on  the  fence  to 
support  himself  from  falling,  and  then  cried  amain  for  God 
to  have  mercy  on  him.  '  To  be  sure,'  said  Mr.  B.,  '  I  tiever 
saiv  God  in  this  loay  before.'  We  exhorted  him  to  look  to 
God  and  not  to  give  up  the  struggle,  and  God  would  bless 
him  before  he  left  the  place.  I  took  the  old  gentleman  by 
the  arm,  and  we  walked  quietly  to  the  house  to  get  some  din- 
ner. About  five  o'clock,  a  person  came  from  the  preaching 
house,  requesting  that   I  would  go  there  immediately,  for 


264  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

j^here  was  a  person  dying.  We  went  without  delay.  I  Avent 
up  stairs,  and  there  lay  several  about  the  floor,  some  crying 
for  mercy,  and  others  praising  God.  I  then  went  into  the 
preaching-room,  and  there  they  lay  about  the  floor  in  like 
manner.  I  then  went  to  see  the  person  said  to  be  dying  ;  she 
lay  gasping.  I  kneeled  down  to  pray,  but  it  was  instantly 
given  me  that  God  had  converted  her  soul,  and  therefore  in- 
stead of  praying  for  deliverance,  I  gave  God  thanks  that  he 
had  delivered  her,  and  immediately  she  arose  and  praised 
God  for  what  he  had  done  for  her  soul." 

"  We  set  out  with  about  forty  friends,  to  the  next  appoint- 
ment. The  people  being  gathered,  after  singing  and  prayer, 
I  began  to  preach,  and  God  laid  to  his  helping  hand  ;  many 
cried  aloud  for  mercy.  One  young  man  being  powerfully 
wrought  upon,  retired  up  stairs,  and  there  thumped  about 
upon  the  floor,  so  that  Mr.  B.  was  afraid  that  he  would  be 
iryured  in  body.  '  To  be  sure'  said  he,  '  I  never  saio  God  in 
tJ&is  way  before.'  I  told  him  there  was  no  danger,  he  was  in 
ths  hands  of  a  merciful  God.  In  a  few  minutes  after,  attempt- 
in^j  to  come  down  stairs,  he  fell  from  the  top  to  the  bottom, 
and  hallooed  aloud,  '  The  devil  is  in  the  chamber!  the  devil 
is  in  the  chamber  I'  which  greatly  alarmed  all  the  people. 
This  brought  a  great  damp  over  my  spirits,  for  I  thought  if 
I  had  raised  the  devil,  I  might  as  well  go  home  again.  How- 
ever, after  a  little  space,  I  bid  some  of  the  dear  people  go  up 
stairs  and  see  if  the  devil  was  there :  several  went  up  to  see 
what  the  matter  was,  and  there  they  found  a  man  rolling, 
groaning,  and  crying  to  God  for  mercy  ;  they  returned,  and 
told  us  how  matters  stood." 

"  Next  day,  at  my  appointment,  we  had  a  crowded  house, 
and  the  Lord  laid  to  his  helping  hand ;  divers  fell  to  the  floor, 
and  several  cried  aloud  for  mercy.  After  preaching,  an  old 
Presbyterian  gentleman  attacked  me,  and  told  me  it  was  all 
the  work  of  the  devil — that  God  was  a  God  of  order — and  this 


BENJAMIN    ABBOTT.  265 

was  perfect  confusion.  Well,  said  I,  if  this  be  the  work  of 
the  devil,  the  people,  many  of  whom  then  lay  on  the  floor  as 
dead  men,  when  they  come  to,  they  will  curse  and  swear  and 
rage  like  devils ;  but  if  it  be  of  God,  their  notes  will  be 
changed.  Soon  after,  one  of  them  came  to,  and  he  began  to 
praise  God  with  a  loud  voice ;  and  soon  another,  and  so  on, 
until  divers  of  them  bore  testimony  for  Jesus.  Hark  1  hark  I 
said  I  to  my  old  opponent — brother,  do  you  hear  them  ?  this 
is  not  the  language  of  hell,  but  the  language  of  Canaan.  I 
then  appointed  prayer-meeting  at  a  friend's  house,  in  the 
neigliborhood.  Alter  the  people  had  gathered,  I  saw  my  old 
opponent  among  them.  I  gave  out  a  hymn,  and  brother  S. 
went  to  prayer,  and  after  him  myself  I  had  spoken  but  a 
few  words,  before  brother  S.  fell  to  the  floor,  and  soon  after 
him  every  soul  in  the  house,  except  myself  and  my  old  Pres- 
byterian opponent  and  two  others.  I  arose,  and  gave  an 
exhortation,  and  the  two  men  fell — one  as  if  he  had  been 
shot ;  and  then  there  was  every  soul  down  in  the  house,  ex- 
cept myself  and  my  old  opponent.  He  began  immediately  to 
dispute  the  point,  telling  me  it  was  all  delusion  and  the  work 
of  the  devil.  I  told  him  to  stand  still  and  see  the  salvation 
of  the  Lord.  As  they  came  to,  they  all  praised  God,  and  not 
one  soul  but  what  professed  either  to  have  received  justifica- 
tion or  sanctification,  eight  of  whom  professed  the  latter.  I 
then  replied,  hark!  is  this  the  language  of  hell  ?  Here  your 
eyes  have  seen  the  salvation  of  the  Lord. — Time  called  us 
away  to  our  next  appointment,  which  was  about  seven  miles 
distant.  Here  we  met  with  my  old  Presbyterian  opponent 
again  ;  on  seeing  him,  I  was  sorry,  for  I  concluded  that  we 
should  have  some  disputing  again.  I  fixed  my  eyes  on  him, 
and  cried  mightily  to  God  that  if  one  man  fell  that  day,  it 
might  be  him.  As  I  was  preaching,  I  heard  several  cry  out, 
'  Water  I  water  I  the  man  is  fainting  !'  I  looked  round,  and 
saw  it  was  my  old  opponent,  trembling  like  Belshazzar  :   I 


2G6  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

told  them  to  let  him  alone,  and  look  to  themselves,  for  that  it 
vi^as  the  power  of  God  that  had  arrested  him.  They  let  him 
go,  and  down  he  fell  on  the  floor,  struggled  awhile,  and  then 
lay  as  one  dead.  When  I  finished  my  discourse,  and  dis- 
missed the  people,  in  order  to  meet  the  class,  I  desired  some 
of  our  friends  to  carry  him  out,  as  he  was  in  our  way  :  they 
did  so,  and  laid  him  on  a  bed  in  a  back  room.  After  class, 
I  went  in  to  see  my  old  opponent ;  he  had  just  come  to,  and 
was  sitting  on  the  bed.  Now,  thought  I,  is  this  the  v.'ork  of 
the  devil,  or  not  ?   but  said  nothing  to  him,  nor  he  to  me. 

"  Next  morning  we  went  to  our  appointment,  where  we 
had  a  large  congregation.  Looking  round,  I  sav/  my  old 
Presbyterian  friend  again.  This  was  nine  miles  distant  from 
my  former  appointment.  I  felt  great  freedom  in  speaking  : 
a  woman  began  to  shake  in  a  powerful  manner,  and  three  or 
four  cried  out  '  Water  I  water  !'  I  told  them  that  it  M'as  ths 
power  of  God  that  had  fallen  on  her,  so  they  let  her  go,  and 
down  she  fell  on  the  floor.  I  bid  them  to  look  to  themselves, 
and  went  on  with  my  discourse  ;  some  wept,  some  sighed, 
and  some  groaned.  When  I  dismissed  the  people,  not  one 
offered  to  go.  I  then  desired  some  one  to  speak  to  them,  and 
brother  C.  arose  and  said,  '  You  stand  amazed  at  the  power 
of  God,  and  well  you  may,'  and  gave  a  smart  exhortation. 
By  this  time  I  had  gathered  a  little  strength,  and  gave  them 
an  exhortation ;  they  wept  all  through  the  house.  I  then 
said.  For  God's  sake,  if  any  can  speak  for  God,  say  on  ;  for  I 
can  speak  no  more.  Who  should  arise  but  my  old  Presby- 
terian opponent,  and  began  with  informing  them  that  he  was 
not  one  of  this  sect,  that  he  had  been  with  me  four  days,  and 
that  he  never  had  seen  the  power  of  God  in  this  way  before  ; 
and  added.  It  is  the  power  of  God  I  and  gave  a  warm  exhor- 
tation for  about  three  quarters  of  an  hour.  I  then  dismissed 
the  people. 

It  would  no  doubt  be  interesting,  to  multiply  extracts  as 


BENJAMIN    ABBOTT. 


267 


found  in  the  life  of  this  "  Son  of  thunder,"  but  our  Umits 
obhge  us  to  hasten  with  the  narrative  of  his  labors  in  a  more 
surnmar}'  manner.  After  laboring  as  a  local  preacher  for  up- 
ward of  sixteen  years,  he  felt  it  his  duty  to  join  the  travelling 
connection,  which  he  did  in  1789,  at  the  Conference  held  in 
Trenton,  New  Jersey,  in  April  of  that  year,  and  was  appoint- 
ed to  Dutchess  circuit,  in  the  State  of  New  York.  The  cir- 
cuit was  new,  and  he  found  but  a  few  converted  souls  on  it. 
He,  however,  began  to  preach  the  doctrine  of  Bible  holiness, 
and  although  the  people  mostly  belonged  to  other  churches, 
yet  the  Lord  graciously  owned  his  word,  and  rendered  his  la- 
bors a  blessing  to  the  people.  In  1790,  Mr.  Abbott  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  a  deacon,  and  in  1793  was  admitted 
to  the  office  of  an  elder,  and  he  labored  in  his  holy  vocation 
until  the  year  1795,  when  on  account  of  ill  health,  he  was 
oblio^ed  to  retire  from  the  itinerant  field,  and  was  never  able 
to  resume  his  duties  as  a  travelling  minister. 

Mr.  Abbott's  last  appointment  was  Cecil  circuit,  in  the 
State  of  Maryland,  where  he  proved  himself  to  be  the  same 
holy  man  that  he  had  been  for  the  previous  twenty  years.  On 
the  3d  of  February,  1795,  he  was  seized  with  a  violent  ague, 
which  was  followed  by  scorching  fever,  and  pain  in  his  side. 
The  doctor  being  called,  pronounced  his  case  hopeless,  and 
gave  him  up  as  a  dead  man.  He,  however,  revived,  and  was 
able  to  walk  and  ride  out,  and  even  to  attend  Church,  and 
visit  his  friends.  The  winter  of  1795-6,  was  spent  by  him 
in  Philadelphia.  An  instance  of  his  fideUty  in  reproving  sin 
occurred  in  the  spring  of  this  year.  At  a  funeral  sermon 
which  was  preached  on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  a  pious 
lady,  Mr.  Abbott  was  able  to  be  present,  and  at  the  close  of 
the  sermon,  he  rose  and  gave  an  exhortation.  Seeing  a  gen- 
tleman present  who  had  once  been  a  fellow-laborer  with  him 
in  the  gospel,  but  who  had  wickedly  departed  from  his  God, 
Mr.  Abbott  felt  it  his  duty  to  address  his  exhortation  particu- 


268  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

larly  to  him,  and  called  to  mind  the  many  happy  hours  they 
had  spent  together  iu  the  service  of  God.  The  gentleman  re- 
ceived the  advice  given,  as  an  affront,  and  thought  himself 
ill-used.  On  Mr.  Abbott's  being  informed  of  the  manner  in 
which  his  vi^ell-meaning  effort  had  been  received,  he  simply 
said,  "  Why  if  I  were  able  to  take  my  horse  and  go  and  see 
him,  I  should  not  have  made  use  of  that  opportunity ;  but  as 
I  am  not  able  to  go  and  see  him,  I  was  convinced  that  if  I 
let  that  opportunity  pass,  I  should  never  have  another ;  and 
I  thought  it  was  my  duty  to  speak  as  I  did  :  therefore  I  leave 
the  event  with  God.  I  am  sure  that  it  cannot  hurt  him,  or 
do  him  any  injury  ;  for  a  man  that  is  posting  in  the  broad 
way  to  damnation,  cannot  be  easily  worsted.  0  !  I  have  seen 
the  time  that  we  have  rejoiced  together  as  fellow-laborers  in 
Christ,  and  it  grieves  my  soul  to  see  that  the  devil  has  got 
the  advantage  of  him  1"  The  final  result  of  Mr.  Abbott's 
plainness  was,  that  at  the  next  quarterly  meeting  after  his 
death,  the  gentleman  alluded  to  rose  in  the  love-feast,  and 
declared  that  God  had  healed  all  his  backslidings,  and  that  he 
had  made  Father  Abbott  the  instrument  of  his  restoration  to 
the  favor  of  God. 

About  the  first  of  June,  Mr.  Abbott  was  able  to  attend  an- 
other funeral,  at  which  the  officiating  clergyman  in  the  course 
of  his  remarks  said,  that,  "  Death  is  the  king  of  terrors,  and 
that  he  makes  cowards  of  us  all."  After  sermon,  Mr.  Abbott 
took  occasion  to  converse  with  the  minister,  and  dissent  from 
the  doctrine  taught  in  the  above  quotation.  "  For,"  said  ho, 
"  perfect  love  casteth  out  fear  ;"  "  and  for  my  part,"  said  he, 
"  I  can  call  God  to  witness  that  death  is  no  terror  to  me  I  I 
am  ready  to  meet  ray  God,  if  it  were  now  I" 

On  the  12th  of  August,  he  being  very  feeble,  said  to  a 
brother  who  came  to  see  him,  "  Brother  F.  I  am  going  to  die, 
and  to-morrow  you  must  go  to  Philadelphia  for  Brother 
M'Cluskey,  to  come  and  preach  my  funeral  sermon  :"  to  which 


BENJAMIN    ABBOTT.  269 

the  brother  replied,  "  Father  Abbott,  you  may  continue  some 
time  yet,  as  the  timeof  your  death  is  uncertain."  "  No,"  said 
Mr.  Abbott,  "  I  shall  die  before  you  Avould  get  back  from 
Philadelphia,  unless  you  travel  in  the  night."  The  brother 
replied,  "  It  will  not  answer  to  go  before  your  decease." 
"  Why,"  rejoined  Mr.  Abbott,  "  I  shall  die,  and  I  do  not  wish 
my  body  kept  until  it  is  oflensive  :  you  know  the  weather  is 
warm,  and  the  distance  is  considerable."  "That  is  true,"  re- 
plied the  brother,  "  but  if  I  were  to  go  to  Philadelphia  for 
brother  M'Cluskey  to  preach  your  funeral  sermon  and  you 
not  dead,  the  friends  would  laugh  at  me,  and  he  would  not 
come."  "Ah  I"  said  he,  "  it  may  be  so  ;  I  never  thought  of 
that ;  perhaps  it  will  be  best  to  slay  till  I  am  dead." 

On  the  day  but  one,  following  the  above  conversation,  this 
eminently  useful  servant  of  God  breathed  his  last.  The  last 
sentence  v/hich  he  intelligibly  articulated  was,  "  Glory  to 
God  !  I  see  heaven  sweetly  opened  before  me  I"  After  this. 
he  frequently  repeated  single  words  as  "  See  I — See  I — Glory! 
—  Glory!''''  Sec,  in  the  meanwhile  clapping  his  emaciated 
hands  together,  until  nature  became  exhausted,  and  he  ceased 
at  once  to  work  and  live.  He  died  in  Salem,  New  Jersey,  on 
the  14th  of  August,  1796,  in  the  sixty-fifth  year  of  his  age, 
and  twenty-third  of  his  ministry.  He  was  buried  according 
to  his  oft-repeated  desire,  in  the  Methodist  burial-ground  in 
Salem.  His  funeral  being  attended  by  a  large  concourse  of 
his  fellow-citizens,  and  by  Christian  ministers  of  diflerent  de- 
nominations. 

Thus  lived,  and  thus  died,  Benjamin  Abbott,  "  a  brand 
plucked  from  the  burning — a  man  who  had  wasted  forty 
years  of  his  life  in  sin  and  vice,  and  yet,  who,  through  the 
mercy  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus,  became  as  eminent  for  piety 
and  usefulness  in  the  Church  of  God,  as  he  before  had  been 
notorious  for  wickedness  and  folly.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to 
add  many  remarks  in  relation  to  the  character  of  Mr.  Abbott 


270  LIVES    or    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

as  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  after  having  given  the  lengthy 
extracts  which  are  found  in  this  chapter.  Suffice  it  to  say 
that  for  burning,  zeal  and  power  in  the  pulpit,  he  probably 
never  had  a  superior  in  the  Methodist  Church.  In  regard  to 
education,  Mr.  Abbott  was  probably  behind  the  most  of  the 
preachers  of  that  day,  but  what  he  lacked  in  knowledge  he 
made  up  in  power,  and  the  influence  he  exerted  over  the 
minds  of  a  congregation  was  truly  wonderful,  and  the  more 
so  in  view  of  his  want  of  education.  The  great  secret  of  his 
success,  however,  may  be  traced  to  his  depth  of  piety ;  for  being 
one  of  those  persons  to  whom  "the  Lord  had  forgiven  much," 
he  felt  it  his  duty  to  "  love  much"  in  return,  and  hence  his 
burning  desire  for  the  salvation  of  souls.  It  is  barely  possible 
that  Mr.  Abbott  was  too  much  of  a  zealot — that  he  suffered 
things  to  be  carried  too  far  in  some  of  his  meetings,  although 
we  would  by  no  means  affirm  this ;  for  who  can  limit  the 
power  of  God,  or  who  place  bounds  to  the  operations  of  his 
grace  ?  It  is  much  easier  to  cry  "  confusion"  and  "  disorder," 
than  to  define  the  precise  limit  at  which  confusion  begins  and 
order  ends.  Were  our  modern  lovers  of  order  to  undertake 
the  task  of  stating  how  far  the  apostles  and  disciples  were  or- 
derly or  otherwise  on  the  day  of  Pentecost ;  they  would  find 
it  a  more  onerous  task  than  simply  to  find  fault  with  the  ex- 
hibitions of  God's  power  in  latter  days,  especially  under  the 
labors  of  Abbott : 

"  Peace  to  his  ashes." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

BISHOP    M'KENDREE. 

William  M'Kendree  was  born  in  King  William  County, 
State  of  Virginia,  on  the  sixth  day  of  July,  1757.  His  parents 
were  reputable,  and  appear  to  have  been  communicants  of 
the  English  Church,  in  which  William  was  educated.  Of 
his  early  life  we  know  but  little,  as  no  biography  of  this  emi- 
nent man  has  as  yet  been  given  to  the  Church.  Of  one 
thing,  however,  we  are  assured :  that  he  lived  to  the  age  of 
thirty  years  before  he  became  the  subject  of  converting  grace. 
At  the  latter  age,  under  the  ministry  of  the  K-ev.  John  Easter, 
who  travelled  on  the  circuit  near  where  he  lived,  he  was 
awakened  to  a  sense  of  his  lost  condition  as  a  sinner,  and  was 
led  to  seek  for  pardon  and  reconciliation  through  the  atoning 
blood  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Nor  did  he  seek  in  vain  ; 
peace  and  pardon  were  granted  him  in  answer  to  the  prayer 
of  faith,  and  his  soul  became  unspeakably  happy  while  "filled 
with  the  fulness  of  God." 

This  happy  change  took  place  in  the  year  1787,  and  being 
possessed  of  an  ardent  love  for  souls,  he  was  led  almost  imme- 
diately after  his  conversion  to  sigh  for  the  salvation  of  his  un- 
converted neighbors  and  friends.  His  desire  for  their  salvation 
led  him  to  improve  upon  the  talents  committed  to  his  care  by 
the  "  master  of  the  vineyard,"  and  soon  he  became  a  preacher 
of  that  faith  which  had  so  recently  changed  his  "  darkness 
into  lif^ht."     The  year  after  his  conversion  he  offered  himself 


272  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

to  the  Virginia  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
as  a  travelling  preacher,  and  was  by  that  body  received  oa 
trial,  and  ajjpointed  to  a  circuit.  He  had  not  been  long 
engaged  in  the  reiuistry  before  he  manifested  talents  of  a  very 
high  order.  In  the  year  1792,  some  opposition  Avas  manifested 
by  a  few  of  the  preachers,  to  the  power  of  the  bishops  in  sta- 
tioning them  without  au  appeal  to  the  Conference.  The 
opposition  was  led  by  a  highly  popular  preacher,  by  the  name 
of  James  O'Kelly,  who  served  as  a  presiding  elder  in  the  State 
of  Virginia.  Mr.  O'Kelly  introduced  a  resolution  to  the  Con- 
ference of  1792,  the  design  of  which  was  to  secure  to  every 
preacher  who  thought  himself  injured,  an  appeal  to  the  Con- 
ference with  liberty  to  state  his  objections,  and  if  the  Confer- 
ence approved  of  his  objections,  require  the  bishop  to  appoint 
him  to  another  circuit.  The  resolution  thus  presented  elicited, 
very  strong  debate,  which  lasted  three  days,  but  which  was 
finally  lost  by  a  large  majority.  The  failure  of  the  eiibrt  to 
secure  the  passage  of  the  resolution  so  operated,  upon  the 
mind  of  the  mover,  that  he,  with  some  others,  withdrew  from 
the  Church,  and  organized  a  separate  organization,  with  the 
name  of  "  Republican  Methodists." 

Mr.  M'Kendree  participated  more  or  less  in  the  discussion, 
and  favored  the  views  of  Mr.  O'Kelly  and  his  party ;  and  al- 
though he  did  not,  like  the  leader  of  the  movement,  withdraw 
from  the  Church,  he  nevertheless  was  so  much  disappointed 
at  the  failure  of  the  proposed  measure,  that  he  refused  to  take 
an  appointment  at  that  Conference.  After  the  adjournment, 
however,  he  took  pains  to  examine  more  critically,  the  true 
nature  of  the  measure  which  had  been  proposed  with  so  much 
warmth,  and  defeated  by  so  large  a  majority  of  his  brethren, 
and  became  convinced  of  his  error,  and  of  the  propriety  of 
the  course  pursued  by  the  Conference.  Accordingly,  at  the 
request  of  Bishop  Asbury,  he  again  entered  the  travelling 
field,  and  took  an  appointment,  and  was  stationed  in  Norfolk, 


BISHOP  m'kendree.  2*13 

Va.  The  examination  of  the  subject  alluded  to  above,  con- 
vinced him  that  the  only  way  to  preserve  the  itinerancy  of 
Methodism  unimpaired,  Avas  to  continue  in  the  hands  of  the 
bishop  the  sole  power  of  appointment,  and  in  these  views  he 
continued  till  the  end  of  his  life. 

In  1796,  Mr.  M'Kendree  was  appointed  to  the  charge  of 
an  important  district  in  the  Virginia  Conference  as  a  presiding 
elder,  and  at  the  expiration  of  three  years  of  faithful  and  suc- 
cessful service,  was  removed  to  the  Baltimore  district,  where 
he  presided  one  year  with  equal  fidelity  and  success.  In  1800 
he  was  selected  by  Bishops  Asbury  and  Whatcoat  to  take 
charge  of  a  Western  district,  which  required  fifteen  hundred 
miles  travel  quarterly,  to  go  around  it.  He  entered  upon  this 
field  of  labor  with  great  zeal,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  know- 
ing that  his  labors  were  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord. 

It  was  while  Mr.  M'Kendree  was  stationed  on  this  district, 
that  camp-meetings  were  instituted,  and  no  sooner  did  he  be- 
come acquainted  with  their  utility,  than  he  at  once  with  all 
the  vigor  of  a  deeply  anxious  mind,  and  an  ever-burning  de- 
sire for  the  salvation  of  souls,  labored  heartily  in  these  pre- 
cious means  of  grace  ;  and  through  his  instrumentahty  thou- 
sands in  that  particular  part  of  the  work  were  no  doubt  con- 
verted to  God.  Such  was  his  success  as  a  preacher,  that  his 
fame  became  known  all  over  the  land,  and  his  "  praise  was 
in  all  the  Churches." 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1808,  it  became  necessary  to 
elect  a  bishop  to  fill  the  vacancy  occcasioned  by  the  decease 
of  Bishop  Whatcoat.  To  most  of  the  senior  members  of  the 
Conference  Mr.  M'Kendree  was  personally  known,  and  to 
them  he  appeared  as  the  most  fitting  person  to  fill  that  im- 
portant office.  Many  of  the  younger  members,  however,  were 
entirely  unacquainted  with  him,  except  by  reputation.  Be- 
inf  called  upon  to  preach  before  the  Conference  on  Sabbath 
morning,  his  sermon  was  so  powerful,  that  both  old  and  young 

18 


274  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

looked  upon  him  as  the  man  for  the  office.  Accordingly  on 
the  next  day,  when  a  balloting  for  a  new  bishop  was  ordered, 
it  was  found  that  out  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  votes 
cast,  ninety-five  were  for  Mr.  M'Kendree,  who  was  therefore 
declared  to  be  duly  elected,  and  on  the  17th  of  May  was  con- 
secrated by  Bishop  Asbury  and  other  elders  of  the  Church. 

A  new  field  was  now  opened  before  Bishop  M'Kendree, 
and  after  the  adjournment  of  the  Conference,  as  already  sta- 
ted in  the  Life  of  Bishop  Asbury,  the  latter  took  him  with 
him  for  the  purpose  of  introducing  him  to  all  the  Conferences, 
and  also  to  the  brethren  in  difierent  parts  of  the  land.  It 
will,  however,  be  unnecessary  to  repeat  the  history  given  in 
the  preceding  chapter,  where  the  labors  of  the  two  men  of 
God  are  spoken  of  in  connection :  we  will  therefore  pass  to  the 
General  Conference  of  1812.  This  was  the  first  delegated 
General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
is  remarkable  also,  as  the  first  Conference  at  which  either  of 
the  bishops  had  presented  a  written  address.  After  the  open- 
ing of  this  venerable  body  in  due  form.  Bishop  M'Kendree 
over  his  own  signature,  presented  to  the  Conference  the  fol- 
lowing document. 

"  To  the  General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  now  assembled  in  the  city  of  New  York. 

"  Dear  Brethren  :  My  relation  to  you  and  the  Connection 
in  general,  seems  in  my  opinion  to  make  it  necessary,  that  I 
should  address  you  in  some  way,  by  which  you  may  get  pos- 
session of  some  information,  perhaps  not  otherwise  to  be  ob- 
tained by  many  of  you. 

"It  is  now  four  years  since  by  your  appointment,  it  became 
my  duty  jointly  to  superintend  our  extensive  and  very  impor- 
tant charge,  With  anxious  solicitude  and  good  wishes,  I  have 
looked  forward  to  this  General  Conference.  The  appointed 
time  is  come,  and  the  Lord  has  graciously  permitted  us  to 


BISHOP  m'kendree.  2*75 

meet  according  to  appointment,  for  which  I  hope  we  are  pre- 
pared jointly,  to  praise  and  adore  his  goodness. 

"  Upon  examination,  you  will  find  the  work  of  the  Lord 
is  prospering  in  our  hands.  Our  important  charge  has  great- 
ly increased  since  the  last  General  Conference :  we  have  had 
an  increase  of  nearly  forty  thousand  members.  At  present 
we  have  about  one  hundred  and  ninety  thousand  members, 
upward  of  two  thousand  local,  and  about  seven  hundred  trav- 
elling preachers  in  our  Connection,  and  these  widely  scattered 
over  seventeen  States,  besides  the  Canadas,  and  several  terri- 
torial settlements. 

"  Thus  situated,  it  must  be  expected  in  the  present  state 
of  things,  that  the  counsel  and  direction  of  your  united  wis- 
dom, will  be  necessary  to  preserve  the  harmony  and  peace  of 
the  body,  as  well  as  co-operation  of  the  travelling  and  local 
ministry,  in  carrying  on  the  blessed  work  of  reformation,  which 
the  Lord  has  been  pleased  to  effect  through  our  instrumen- 
tahty.  To  deserve  the  confidence  of  the  local  ministry  and 
membership,  as  well  as  to  retain  confidence  in  ourselves,  and 
in  each  other,  is  undoubtedly  our  duty ;  and  if  we  consider 
that  those  who  are  to  confide  in  us  are  a  collection  from  all 
classes  and  descriptions,  from  all  countries  of  which  the  na- 
tion is  composed;  promiscuously  scattered  over  this  vast  conti- 
nent— men  who  were  originally  of  difi'erent  education,  man- 
ners, habits,  and  opinions,  we  shall  see  the  difficulty,  as  well 
as  the  importance  of  this  part  of  our  charge. 

"  In  order  to  enjoy  the  comforts  of  peace  and  union  among 
us,  we  must  '  love  one  another  ;'  but  this  cannot  abide  where 
confidence  does  not  exist ;  and  purity  of  intention,  manifested 
by  proper  actions,  is  the  very  foundation  and  support  of  con- 
fidence ;  thus  '  united,  we  stand  :'  each  member  is  a  support 
to  the  body,  and  the  body  supports  each  member ;  but  if  con- 
fidence fails,  love  will  grow  cold,  peace  will  be  broken,  and 
'divided  we  fall.'     It  therefore  becomes  this  body,  which  by 


276  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS, 

its  example  is  to  move  the  passions  and  direct  the  course  of 
thousands  of  ministers,  and  tens  of  thousands  of  members,  to 
pay  strict  attention  to  the  simplicity  of  gospel  manners,  and 
to  do  everything  as  in  the  immediate  presence  of  God.  If  we 
consider  the  nature  of  our  business,  and  the  influence  of  civil 
governments  and  political  measures,  it  will  hardly  be  expect- 
ed that  every  individual  in  so  large  a  body  as  you  form,  will 
continually  be  sufficiently  and  strictly  evangelical  in  all 
cases  ;  it  is  therefore  hoped  in  cases  of  failure,  that  the  wis- 
dom and  firmness  of  your  united  prudence  as  a  body,  will  coun- 
teract evil  effects,  by  a  well-ordered  and  prudent  disappro- 
bation and  better  example.  Church  and  State  should  never 
be  assimilated. 

"  Connected  as  I  am,  with  you  and  the  Connection  in 
general,  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  submit  to  your  consideration  the 
appointment  of  the  Grenesee  Conference  ;  and  perhaps  it  may 
be  for  the  general  good,  if  in  your  wisdom  you  should  think 
proper  to  take  into  consideration  a  division  of  the  work  in  the 
western  country,  and  a  proper  arrangement  of  the  work  in 
general ;  and  the  magnitude  and  extent  of  the  work  which 
the  Lord  has  graciously  pleased  to  prosper  in  our  hands,  may 
make  it  proper  for  you  to  inquire  if  the  work  is  sufficiently 
within  the  oversight  of  the  Superintendency,  and  to  make 
such  arrangement  and  provision  as  your  wisdom  may  approve. 
I  would  also  suggest  the  necessity  of  keeping  in  view,  not  only 
the  travelling,  but  the  relation  and  situation  of  our  local 
brethren ;  and  to  pursue  that  plan  which  may  render  the 
whole  most  useful ;  and  it  may  also  be  proper  to  bring  into 
view  any  unfinished  business  (if  any)  which  we  had  under 
consideration  at  our  last  General  Conference.  Hitherto,  as  a 
body,  we  have  been  preserved  by  our  well-digested  system  of 
rules,  which  are  as  sinews  to  the  body,  and  form  the  bonds  of 
our  union.  But  it  is  evident  both  from  Scripture  and  ex- 
perience that  men,  even  good  men,  may  depart  from  first 


BISHOP  m'kekdree.  2*77 

principles,  and  the  best  of  rules;  it  may  therefore  be  proper 
for  you  to  pay  some  attention  to  the  administration,  to  know 
the  state  both  of  the  travelling  and  local  ministry,  as  it  relates 
to  doctrine,  discipline,  and  practice. 

"  Before  I  conclude,  permit  me,  my  dear  brother,  to  express 
a  few  thoughts  concerning  the  view  I  have  of  the  relation  in 
which  I  stand  connected  with  this  body.  It  is  only  by  virtue 
of  a  delegated  power  from  the  General  Conference,  that  I 
hold  the  reins  of  government.  I  consider  myself  bound  by 
virtue  of  the  same  authority,  to  exercisa  discipline  in  perfect 
conformity  to  the  rules  of  the  Church,  to  the  best  of  my 
ability  and  judgment.  I  consider  myself  justly  accountable, 
not  for  the  system  of  government,  but  for  my  administration ; 
and  ought  therefore  to  be  ready  to  answer  to  the  General 
Conference  for  past  conduct,  and  be  willing  to  receive  infor- 
mation and  advice  to  perfect  future  operations ;  and  I  wish 
my  brethren  to  feel  themselves  perfectly  easy  and  at  liberty. 
( — To  give  advice,  &c.) 

"  I  shall  take  the  liberty  here,  to  present  my  grateful  ac- 
knowledgments for  the  high  degree  of  confidence  which  my 
beloved  brethren  have  placed  in  me,  and  especially  the  able 
counsel  and  seasonable  support  afforded  by  many,  which  has, 
I  believe,  with  the  divine  aid,  preserved  and  supported  me. 
Dear  brethren,  such  are  the  effects  of  our  high  responsibility, 
connected  with  a  consciousness  of  the  insufficiency  of  my 
talents  for  so  great  a  work,  that  I  move  with  trembling.  Your 
eyes,  and  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  upon  me  for  good.  We 
shall  rejoice  together  to  see  the  armies  of  Israel  wisely  con- 
ducted in  all  their  ranks,  carrying  the  triumphs  of  the  Re- 
deemer's kingdom  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  ;  and  the  Lord 
will  rejoice  to  make  his  ministers  a  flame  of  fire.  In  you  I 
have  all  confidence,  and  on  you  I  depend  for  aid,  and  above 
all  I  trust  in  divine  aid.  Influenced  by  these  considerations, 
and  with  my  situation  in  full  view,  I  cannot  entertain  a 


^^S  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

thought  of  bearing  such  awful  accountahility  longer  than  I 
nm  persuaded  my  services  are  useful  to  the  Church  of  God, 
and  feel  a  confidence  of  being  aided  by  your  counsel  and  sup- 
port, which  is  with  you  to  give  in  any  way  or  form  you  may 
judge  proper.  And  while  I  join  with  you,  my  dear  brethren, 
in  pure  gospel  simplicity  to  commit  and  recommend  ourselves, 
and  our  several  charges  to  the  special  care  of  the  Great  Head 
of  the  Church,  I  remain  with  sentiments  of  love  and  confi- 
dence, your  servant  in  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 

"  William  M'Kendree. 
"  New  York,  May  5th,  1812." 

We  have  thus  given  at  full  length  the  first  episcopal  mes- 
sage, or  opening  address,  made  by  a  bishop  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  to  the  General  Conference  of  that  Church. 
Why  Bishop  Asbury  did  not  unite  in  the  presentation  of  the 
address,  we  have  not  the  means  of  knowing.  It  was  evident- 
ly, however,  not  because  he  dissented  from  the  doctrines  con- 
tained, or  the  views  expressed  in  the  same  ;  for  after  the 
address  had  been  read  and  referred  to  appropriate  committees 
Bishop  Asbury  rose  and  addressed  the  Conference  extempora- 
neously, through  Bishop  M'Kendree,  who  occupied  the  chair, 
and  recommended  a  consideration  of  the  same,  or  similar 
points,  alluded  to  in  the  written  address. 

The  address,  thus  quoted,  serves  to  throw  light  upon  the 
character  of  good  Bishop  M'Kendree ;  and  to  understand 
some  portions  of  it,  it  is  necessary  to  observe  that  the  ground 
which  the  bishop  found  it  necessary  to  take  on  the  presiding 
elder  question — alluded  to  on  a  previous  page — after  he  had 
become  convinced  of  his  former  errors  in  that  respect,  sub- 
jected him  to  no  small  amount  of  prejudice  during  some 
periods  of  his  episcopal  administration.  Because  he  had 
changed  his  opinions  on  the  subject,  and  found  it  necessary 
as  an  honest  man,  to  act  in  accordance  with  those  opinions. 


Bisnop  m'kendree.  2*79 

it  was  thought  by  some,  that  he  was  ambitious,  and  was 
actuated  by  a  love  of  power.  These  suspicions  and  prejudices 
rendered  it  rather  a  hard  task,  especially  in  some  of  the 
northern  Conferences,  where  the  O'Kelly  doctrines  were  more 
generally  embraced,  to  please  some  of  the  preachers  in  rela- 
tion to  the  appointments  they  received  from  the  bishop ;  but 
he,  conscious  of  his  integrity  in  the  matter,  and  being  satisfied 
that  the  existing  policy  was  the  only  safe  one  for  the  Church 
to  pursue,  continued  to  discharge  the  duties  imposed  upon 
him  by  the  General  Conference,  while  he  held  himself  respon- 
sible for  the  manner  of  their  performance  to  the  body  from 
which  he  had  received  the  authority  to  discharge  the  same. 
Hence  the  bishop  in  this  address  states  that  he  holds  himself 
"justly  accountable,  not  for  the  system  of  government,  but  for 
his  administration,"  and  that  he  was  "  ready  to  answer  to  the 
General  Conference  for  past  conduct,  &c."  It  should,  how- 
ever, be  recorded  to  the  honor  of  the  bishop's  memory,  that 
whatever  asperities  may  have  existed  in  relation  to  the  mat- 
ter alluded  to,  time  has  removed  any  prejudices  that  may 
have  arisen  from  the  subject ;  while  the  history  of  the  Church 
since  that  period,  has  proved  the  correctness  of  the  bishop's 
views,  and  of  the  policy  advocated  by  him  and  endorsed  by 
the  General  Conference. 

It  may  be  proper  in  this  connection  to  speak  somewhat 
more  at  large  of  the  ministerial  character  of  Bishop  M'Ken- 
dree,  and  in  doing  so,  would  avail  ourselves  of  the  remarks 
found  in  Bangs's  "  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church," 
to  which  work  we  are  mainly  indebted  for  all  that  is  written 
in  regard  to  the  biography  of  Bishop  M'Kendree.  On  page 
197,  Dr.  Bangs,  in  speaking  of  the  bishop's  chai-acter,  says: 

"  1.  Bishop  M'Kendree  gave  unequivocal  evidence  of  deep 
piety,  and  of  a  mind  and  heart  thoroughly  imbued  with  gos- 
pel truth.  This  evidence  is  found  in  his  entire  life,  in  his 
words,  and  actions. 


280  LIVEB    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

"  2,  Having  devoted  the  early  days  of  his  ministry  chiefly 
to  the  new  countries  west  of  the  Alleghanies,  he  had  neither 
the  time  nor  the  means  of  acquiring  much  information  from 
the  study  of  books,  though  it  was  evident  that  he  had  stored 
his  understanding  with  a  variety  of  the  most  useful  branches 
of  knowledge  for  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ.  Had  he  been 
favored  with  the  opportunity  of  a  thorough  education  in  his 
youth,  and  pursued  the  path  of  science  in  after  years,  he 
might  have  shone  in  the  galaxy  of  literature  and  science  ; 
for  he  had  an  understanding  sufficiently  strong  and  acute  to 
enable  him  to  grapple  with  aiiy  subject  within  the  range  of 
human  intellect,  and  equal  to  the  acquirement  of  any  branch 
of  human  knowledge. 

"  This  was  evident  to  all  who  were  intimate  with  him,  and 
could  duly  appreciate  his  worth.  His  mind  indeed  was  capa- 
ble of  the  nicest  distinctions  of  the  most  critical  researches 
and  of  the  widest  expansion.  How  often  did  he,  by  a  well- 
timed  and  pointed  remark,  unravel  the  sophistry  of  the  sciolist 
and  confound  the  pedantic  pretender  to  wisdom  and  science ! 
As  if  by  a  sudden  inspiration  of  thought,  he  would  make  a 
ray  of  light  flash  upon  a  subject,  and  thereby  render  that  clear 
and  intelligible  which  before  was  obscure  and  perplexed.  It 
was  once  remarked  by  a  preacher  of  no  mean  attainments, 
who  was  on  intimate  terms  with  the  bishop,  that  he  had  often 
felt  himself  mortified  and  chagrined  when  endeavoring  to  let 
him  into  the  secret  of  something  of  importance,  be  found  that 
the  bishop  was  already  in  possession  of  the  facts  in  the  case, 
and  could  therefore  give  more  information  than  the  other 
could  impart. 

"  His  constant  intercourse  with  all  sorts  of  company  in  his 
various  peregrinations  through  the  country,  enabled  him  to 
treasure  up  much  useful  knowledge  from  actual  observation, 
and  to  suit  himself  with  an  admirable  adaptation  to  the  variety 
of  classes  and  circumstances  of  the  people  with  whom  he 


BISHOP  m'kendree.  281 

came  in  contact.  This  also  gave  him  a  clear  insight  into  the 
human  cliaractei-,  and  a  comprehensive  view  of  that  character 
in  all  its  variety  of  shades  and  distinctions.  And  though  he 
did  not  '  aflect  the  gentleman'  by  an  apish  imitation  of  the 
fopperies  of  fashion,  he  was  easy  and  polite  in  his  manners, 
while  he  at  all  times  maintained  the  dignity  and  gravity  of 
the  Christian  minister.  His  perfect  knowledge  of  the  human 
character  enabled  him  to  wield  with  good  efl'ect  the  weapon 
of  truth,  and  to  apply  it  with  admirable  facility  and  exactness 
to  the  various  cases  which  came  up  for  consideration. 

"  3.  As  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  he  was  plain  and  pointed, 
and  his  sermons  consisted  chiefly  in  explaining  and  enforcing 
experimental  and  practical  godliness.  Though  possessed  of  a 
mind  extremely  acute,  which,  had  he  been  trained  to  meta- 
physical researches,  would  have  been  competent  to  the  most 
abstruse  subjects,  yet  he  seldom  entertained  an  audience  with 
dry  and  monotonous  disquisitions,  but  entered  directly  into  the 
heart,  laid  open  the  secret  springs  of  human  action,  and 
applied  the  truths  of  God's  Word  to  the  understanding  and 
conscience  with  powerful  effect. 

"  There  was  indeed  a  great  variety  in  the  character  of  his 
sermons.  Though  he  seldom  failed  to  '  make  out  what  he  took 
in  hand,'  yet  he  sometimes  sunk  rather  below  mediocrity, 
while  at  other  times  he  soared  and  expanded,  and  astonished 
you  with  irradiations  of  light,  and  with  the  power  and  elo- 
quence with  which  he  delivered  the  tremendous  truths  of 
God.  On  these  occasions,  assisted,  as  he  most  evidently  was, 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  would  carry  you  away  with  him  on  the 
eagle  wings  of  truth,  and  then  having  gently  seated  you  on  its 
firm  foundation,  melt  you  into  the  tenderest  emotions  by  the 
sweet  and  gentle  accents  of  affectionate  entreaty,  which 
poured  from  his  lips  in  the  most  pathetic  streams  of  gospel 
simplicity,  truth,  and  love. 

"  It  was  a  sermon  ot"  this  character  which  he  preached  be- 


282  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

fore  the  General  Conference  in  1608,  a  few  days  previous  to 
his  election  to  the  episcopal  office,  and  which  no  doubt  con- 
tributed much  to  his  elevation  to  that  station,  more  especially 
by  securing  the  votes  of  those  who  were  not  personally  ac- 
quainted with  him.  To  give  as  fair  a  representation  of  this 
sermon  and  its  eflects  as  I  am  able,  I  will  simply  relate  what 
passed  in  my  own  mind  on  that  occasion. 

"  It  was  the  first  General  Conference  I  had  ever  attended, 
and  the  name  of  William  M'Kendree  was  unknown  to  me, 
and  I  believe  also  to  many  other  junior  members  of  the  Con- 
ference. He  was  appointed  to  preach  in  the  Light-street 
Church  on  Sabbath  morning.  The  house  was  crowded  with 
people  in  every  part,  above  and  below,  eager  to  hear  the 
stranger,  and  among  others,  most  of  the  members  of  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  were  present,  besides  a  number  of  colored  peo- 
ple who  occupied  a  second  gallery  in  the  front  end  of  the 
church.  Bishop  M'Kendree  entered  the  pulpit  at  the  hour  for 
commencing  the  services,  clothed  in  very  coarse  and  homely 
garments,  which  he  had  worn  in  the  woods  of  the  west ;  and 
after  singing,  he  kneeled  in  prayer.  As  was  often  the  case 
with  him  when  he  commenced  his  prayer,  he  seemed  to  falter 
in  his  speech,  clipping  some  of  his  words  at  the  end,  and  hang- 
ing upon  a  syllable  as  if  it  were  difficult  for  him  to  pronounce 
the  word.  I  looked  at  him,  not  without  some  feelinn-s  of  dis- 
trust,  thinking  to  myself,  '  I  wonder  what  awkward  back- 
woodsman they  have  put  into  the  pulpit  this  morning,  to  dis- 
grace us  with  his  mawkish  manners  and  uncouth  phraseology  ?' 
This  feeling  of  distrust  did  not  forsake  me  until  some  minutes 
after  he  had  commenced  his  text,  which  contained  the  follow- 
ing words  : — '  For  the  hurt  of  the  daughter  of  my  people  am 
I  hurt ;  I  am  black ;  astonishment  hath  taken  hold  on  me. 
Is  there  no  balm  in  Gilead  ;  is  there  no  physician  there  ? 
Why  then  is  not  the  health  of  the  daughter  of  my  people 
recovered?' — Jer.  viii.  21,  22. 


BISHOP    M'KENDREE.  283 

"  His  introduction  appeared  tame,  his  sentences  "broken  and 
disjointed,  and  his  elocution  very  defective.  He  at  length  in- 
troduced his  main  subject,  which  was  to  show  the  spiritual 
disease  of  the  Jewish  Church,  and  of  the  human  familj'  gene- 
rally; and  then  he  entered  upon  his  second  proposition,  which 
was  to  analyze  the  feelings  which  such  a  state  of  things 
awakened  in  the  souls  of  God's  faithful  ambassadors  ;  but 
when  he  came  to  speak  of  the  blessed  eflects  upon  the  heart, 
of  the  balm  which  God  had  provided  for  the  'healing  of  the 
nations,'  he  seemed  to  enter  fully  into  the  element  in  which 
his  soul  delighted  to  move  and  have  its  being,  and  he  soon  car- 
ried the  whole  congregation  away  with  him  into  the  regions 
of  experimental  religion. 

"  Remarking  upon  the  objections  which  some  would  make 
to  the  expression  of  the  feeling  realized  by  a  person  fully 
restored  to  health  by  an  application  of  the  '  sovereign  balm 
for  every  wound,'  he  referred  to  the  shouts  of  applause  so  often 
heard  upon  our  national  jubilee  in  commemoration  of  our 
emancipation  from  political  thraldom,  and  then  said,  '  How 
much  more  cause  has  an  immortal  soul  to  rejoice  and  give 
glory  to  God  for  its  s])iritual  deliverance  from  the  bondage  of 
sin  I'  This  was  spoken  with  such  emphasis,  with  a  soul  over- 
flowing with  the  most  hallowed  and  exalted  feelings,  that  it 
was  like  the  sudden  bursting  of  a  cloud  surcharged  with  wa- 
ter, and  the  congregation  was  instantly  overwhelmed  with  a 
shower  of  divine  grace  from  the  upper  world.  At  first,  sud- 
den shrieks,  as  of  persons  in  distress,  were  heard  in  diflerent 
parts  of  the  house  ;  then  shouts  of  praise,  and  in  every  direc- 
tion sobs,  and  groans,  and  eyes  overflowing  with  tears,  while 
many  were  prostrated  upon  the  floor,  or  lay  helpless  on  the 
seats.  A  very  large  athletic-looking  preacher  who  was  sitting 
by  my  side,  suddenly  fell  upon  his  seat,  as  if  pierced  by  a 
bullet ;  and  I  felt  my  heart  melting  under  sensations  which  I 
could  not  well  resist. 


284  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

"  After  this  sudden  shower,  the  cloiids  were  disparted,  and 
the  sun  of  righteousness  shone  out  most  serenely  and  delight- 
fully, producing  upon  all  present  a  consciousness  of  the  divine 
approbation ;  and  when  the  preacher  descended  from  the 
pulpit,  all  were  filled  with  admiration  of  his  talents,  and  were 
ready  to  magnify  the  grace  of  God  in  him,  as  a  chosen  mes- 
senger of  good  tidings  to  the  lost,  saying  in  their  hearts,  '  This 
is  the  vian  ivlto^n  God  deliglits  to  honor.'  '  This  sermon,' 
Bishop  Asbury  was  heard  to  exclaim,  '  will  make  him  a 
bishop.' 

"  This  was  a  mighty  effort,  without  any  effort  at  all — for 
all  seemed  artless,  simple,  plain,  and  energetic,  without  any 
attempt  at  display  or  studied  design  to  produce  effect.  An  at- 
tempt, therefore,  to  imitate  it  would  be  a  greater  failure  than 
has  been  my  essay  to  describe  it ;  and  it  would  unquestionably 
lower  the  man's  character  who  should  hazard  the  attempt, 
unless  when  under  the  influence  of  corresponding  feelings  and 
circumstances. 

"  It  has  been  already  remarked,  that  he  sometimes  fell 
below  himself,  when  his  mind  appeared  to  be  barren  and  un- 
fruitful. Though  this  was  the  case,  yet  he  always  exhibited 
the  powers  of  a  '  master- workman,'  even  when  those  powers 
seemed  to  be  cramped  apparently  for  want  of  some  internal 
energy  to  put  them  in  vigorous  motion,  and  make  them  play 
with  ease  and  effect.  But  what  added  much  to  the  force  of 
the  truths  which  he  uttered  was  his  commanding  appearance, 
the  gravity  of  his  demeanor,  the  sprightliness  of  his  manners, 
the  fire  which  shot  from  an  eye  which  bespoke  kindness  and 
intelligence,  and  the  natural  gracefulness  of  his  action  in  the 
pulpit.  His  voice  was  clear  and  musical,  and  the  words 
which  dropped  from  his  lips  fell  upon  the  ear  with  delight, 
producing  a  harmony  between  the  outward  voice  and  the  in- 
ward sensation. 

"  His  rhetoric  was  faulty.     Either  from  an  impediment  in- 


BISHOP  m'kendree.  285 

his  speech,  or  from  a  habit  induced  from  early  usage  as  before 
hinted,  he  would  sometimes  hang  upon  an  unaccented  sylla- 
ble, as  in  the  use  of  the  word  contmualhj,  on  the  penultima 
he  would  rest  thus,  al-hj,  as  if  unable  to  add  the  final  sylla- 
ble to  the  word.  At  other  times  he  would  clip  a  word  in  the 
middle,  or  end,  and  leave  it  half  enounced,  probably  from 
some  imperfection  in  the  organs  of  speech.  These,  however, 
arc  little  things,  like  black  specks  in  a  diamond,  which  set 
ofi'  its  beauties  by  contrast,  and  were  lost  sight  of,  whenever 
he  entered  into  his  subject  as  he  generally  did,  as  to  make 
you  forget  everything  but  the  truth  he  uttered,  and  the  God 
he  proclaimed. 

"  There  was  also,  at  times,  the  appearance  of  affectation  in 
his  manner,  and  the  modulation  of  his  voice,  which  detracted 
so  far  as  was  apparent,  from  the  reverence  one  wishes  to  feel 
for  an  ambassador  of  the  Most  High.  Those,  however,  who 
may  have  observed  this  defect — and  it  certainly  is  a  great  de- 
fect, wherever  it  is  discovered — may  have  misjudged,  and 
taken  that  for  art,  which  arose  mostly  from  the  variety  of 
emotions  produced  by  the  ebbings  and  flowings  of  a  full  heart, 
and  the  several  aspects  of  the  subjects  occupying  the  speaker's 
mind  and  tongue. 

*'  But  whatever  defects,  the  eye  of  candid  criticism  might 
detect  in  Bishop  M'Kendree  as  a  public  speaker,  or  as  a  ser- 
raonizer,  judging  from  the  rules  of  strict  propriety,  take  hioi 
all  in  all,  as  a  preacher  of  righteousness,  sent  of  God  to  instruct 
mankind  in  the  pure  and  sublime  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  he 
was  a  star  of  the  first  magnitude,  and  as  such  he  difiused  the 
hallowing  and  mellowing  light  of  divine  truth  all  around  him, 
wherever  he  went,  and  whenever  he  preached.  In  the  West 
especially,  whence  he  returned  surrounded  with  a  halo  of 
glory,  which  had  been  gathering  around  his  character  for 
several  years,  in  the  midst  of  the  shakings  and  tremblings 
produced  by  the  camp  and  other  meetings,  thousands  could 


286  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

say,  that  his  preaching  was  not  with  the  enticing  words  of 
man's  wisdom,  '  but  in  power  and  in  much  assurance,  and  in 
the  Holy  Ghost.'  Nor  were  his  labors  in  the  pulpit  unappre- 
ciated in  the  Atlantic  States,  after  he  had  passed  through 
them,  in  the  character  of  a  general  superintendent,  and  had 
an  opportunity  to  show  himself  to  his  brethren,  'as  a  work- 
man that  needed  not  to  be  ashamed.'  His  zeal  rose  with  the 
dignity  of  his  subject,  and  his  mind  expanded  as  he  ranged 
through  the  spacious  and  prolific  field  of  theological  truth, 
while  he  chained  and  charmed  his  hearers  with  the  melody 
of  his  voice,  and  penetrated  their  liearts  by  the  energy  with 
which  he  spoke  in  the  name  of  God,  and  the  directness  of  his 
appeals  to  the  understanding  and  conscience.  Such  was  Bish- 
op M'Kendree  in  the  pulpit. 

"4.  He  was  an  ardent  friend  and  active  promoter  of  all 
the  institutions  of  the  Church.  When  the  Missionary  Soci- 
ety was  formed,  he  entered  immediately  into  its  spirit  and  de- 
sign, gave  it  his  hearty  support,  and  defended  its  objects  both 
by  word  of  mouth,  and  by  his  pen,  as  well  as  by  liberal  con- 
tributions. And  after  our  aboriginal  missions  were  begun, 
with  so  much  success,  he  visited  them  personally,  preached 
to  the  nations,  and  held  interviews  with  the  chiefs  and  coun- 
sellors with  a  view  to  obviate  difficulties,  and  promote  their 
welfare  in  every  way  within  his  power. 

"  5.  Let  us  now  view  him  as  a  ruler  in  the  Church.  As 
has  been  already  seen,  he  constantly  set  an  example  to  his 
brethren  in  the  ministry  of  unreserved  devotion  to  the  cause 
in  which  he  was  engaged,  and  of  indefatigable  labor  so  long 
as  his  strength  would  sustain  him  in  the  pursuit  of  good.  This 
enabled  him  to  silence  the  clamors  of  such  as  might  be  tempt- 
ed to  believe  that  in  the  exercise  of  the  executive  powers  as 
the  president  of  a  Conference,  he  was  guilty  of  laying  burdens 
upon  others,  which  he  was  unwilling  to  bear  himself;  and 
the  writer  of  this  article  had  frequent  opportunities  during  the 


287 

five  years  in  v/hicli  he  held  the  office  of  presiding  elder  un- 
der Bishop  M'Kendree's  administration,  as  well  as  at  other 
times,  to  watch  his  proceedings,  and  though  sometimes  so 
placed,  as  to  have  strong  temptations  to  find  just  cause  of 
censure,  yet  truth  compels  me  to  say,  that  I  believe  he  was 
always  actuated  by  the  purest  motives  and  an  enlightened 
desire,  to  act  impartially  in  all  cases  which  came  before  hirn 
for  decision.  Whatever  partialities  he  might  feel  for  one,  in 
preference  to  another,  arising  out  of  personal  friendship  or 
otherwise,  there  is  good  reason  to  believe,  that  he  never  will- 
ingly allowed  these  things  to  bias  his  judgment  in  the  execu- 
tion of  his  trust,  or  in  the  distribution  of  the  preachers  to  their 
several  stations  and  tasks.  And  who  that  understands  any- 
thing of  the  complicated  machinery  of  Methodism,  but  must 
know  the  extreme  dehcacy  and  perplexing  difficulty  of  fixing 
so  many  men,  some  old  and  infirm,  some  young  and  inexperi- 
enced, others  of  mature  age,  judgment,  knowledge,  and  influ- 
ence in  their  several  stations,  so  as  to  meet  as  nearly  and 
justly  as  may  be  the  claims  of  all,  and  not  disappoint  the  ex- 
pectations of  any  cither  among  preachers  or  people  I  Such  a 
man  must  be  more  than  mortal.  And  hence  the  assiduity 
with  which  a  conscientious  bishop,  must  needs  apply  himself 
to  the  difficult  task,  even  to  satisfy  the  dictates  of  his  own 
judgment. 

"As  a  general  superintendent,  therefore.  Bishop  M'Kendree 
was  wise  and  discreet,  pure  and  energetic,  infusing  into  the 
general  system  of  the  itinerancy  life  and  activity,  and  setting 
such  an  example  to  all,  both  preachers  and  people,  as  to  ac- 
quire and  maintain  their  affection  and  confidence. 

"  G.  Viewed  as  a  man  of  God,  he  had  many  excellencies, 
and  but  few  defects.  He  was  naturally,  as  all  men  of  genius 
are,  of  a  warm  temperament,  his  passions  were  easily  moved, 
and  he  sometimes  manifested  a  severity  in  his  disposition  and 
expressions,  which  detracted  from  the  general  amiableness 


288  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS, 

and  dignity  of  his  character,  and  sometimes  wounded  the 
feelings  of  his  friends.  Yet  with  these  strong  feelings  to  grap- 
gle  with,  self-knowledge  was  so  deep,  and  grace  predominated 
so  powerfully,  that  he  generally  2^ossessed  his  soul  in  'patience^ 
and  even  in  the  midst  of  conflicting  sentiments  and  argu- 
ments, he  had  that  perfect  command  of  himself,  or  control 
over  his  feelings,  that  he  seldom  betrayed  anything  inconsist- 
ent with  the  Christian  bishop,  evincing  a  philosophic  gravity 
which  indicated  a  soul  calm  and  serene,  while  the  storm 
might  be  raging  around  him." 

"  7.  When  compared  with  Bishop  Asbury,  in  the  perform- 
ance of  his  oflSicial  duties  in  consecrating  men  to  the  ministry, 
the  contrast  was  obvious.  Though  equally  fervent  and  at 
times  manifesting  much  more  of  the  '  unction  of  the  Holy 
One,'  yet  he  fell  much  below  his  venerable  predecessor  in  the 
dignity  and  solemnity  of  his  manners,  and  in  the  authorita- 
tive manner  in  which  he  administered  the  holy  ordinance. 
Equally  impressed,  however,  with  the  imposing  obligations 
of  the  sacred  office  and  of  its  mighty  responsibilities,  he  neg- 
lected no  convenient  opportunity  to  impress  both  the  one  and 
the  other,  upon  all  who  took  upon  themselves  the  vows  of 
their  God.  And  sometimes  under  the  impulse  of  a  sudden 
inspiration,  he  would  ofler  up  to  God  a  fervent  intercession 
for  blessings  to  rest  upon  them  and  their  labors,  and  conclude 
with  a  short  and  pithy  admonition  or  exhortation  suited  to  the 
occasion. 

"  8.  In  presiding  in  the  Conferences,  impartiality  guided 
his  decisions,  and  he  introduced  a  more  orderly  manner  of 
doing  business,  than  had  heretofore  characterized  their  pro- 
ceedings. Bishop  Asbury  used  to  say,  as  an  apology  for  the 
desultory  manner  in  which  he  sometimes  allowed  the  aflairs 
of  a  Conference  to  be  conducted,  '  I  was  with  you  in  weak- 
ness, and  at  first  I  had  to  be  president,  secretary,  and  almost 
everything  ;  but  now  the  days  of  your  childhood  are  passed, 


BISHOP  m'kendree.  289 

you  have  a  president  who  has  grown  up  in  the  midst  of  you, 
and  who  therefore  understands  your  wants;  let  him,  there ■ 
fore,  lead  you  forth  as  men  of  mature  age,  under  the  dictation 
of  those  rules  of  order  you  may  mutually  devise  for  your 
regulation.'  In  conformity  with  this  patriarchal  counsel, 
under  the  advisement  of  Bishop  M'Kendree,  a  set  of  by-laws 
were  introduced  and  adopted,  for  the  more  orderly  manner  of 
conducting  the  business  of  an  annual  Conference.  This  wise 
arrangement  prevented  the  appearance  of  arbitrary  power  on 
the  one  hand,  and  the  irregularities  of  independent  action  on 
the  other, 

"  In  the  exercise  of  his  prerogatives  as  president  of  the 
Conferences,  he  was  sometimes  called  upon  to  check  the  for- 
wardness of  some,  to  correct  the  wanderings  of  others,  as  well 
as  to  encourage  all  to  a  just  and  diligent  performance  of  their 
respective  duties.  In  administering  admonition  or  rebuke,  he 
sometimes  did  it  with  the  keenness  of  a  razor,  and  yet  seem- 
ingly with  the  mildness  of  a  dove.  I  remember  on  a  certain 
occasion,  a  young  preacher  of  more  confidence  than  prudence, 
who  had  lelt  some  small  business  to  become  an  itinerant,  was 
boasting  of  the  great  sacrifices  he  had  made  for  the  cause, 
when  Bishop  M'Kendree  checked  him  by  asking  in  his  pecu- 
liarly soft  and  mild  manner,  '  Brother,  have  you  made  greater 
sacrifices  than  St.  Paul  resolved  to  do,  when  he  said.  If  meat 
make  my  brother  to  offend,  I  ivill  eat  no  more  meat  ivhile 
the  tvorld  &ta7ideth?  Or  than  those  who  said.  We  have  left 
all  for  thy  sake?'  I  need  not  say  that  a  sense  of  shame  sat 
on  the  countenance  of  this  vain  boaster. 

"  But  however  mild  and  yielding  he  might  appear  in  his 
general  administration,  there  were  times  in  which  he  thought 
the  circumstances  called  for  it,  when  he  could  show  all  the 
firmness  of  a  despot,  without  any  of  his  haughty  and  domi- 
neering feelings.  A  debate  once  arose  in  the  New  York  Con- 
ference, respecting  electing  a  man  to  elder's  orders,  who  had 

19 


290  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

been  a  travelling  deacon  only  one  year,  because  he  had  trav- 
elled for  several  years  in  connection  with  the  Wesleyan  Con- 
ference in  England,  and  he  Avas  finally  elected.  In  the  course 
of  the  debate,  one  of  the  speakers  averse  to  the  proposed 
election,  pleaded  that  if  elected,  the  presiding  bishop  would 
be  compelled  to  assume  the  character  of  a  pope,  and  refuse  to 
ordain  him.  After  the  question  was  decided,  the  bishop  arose 
and  informed  the  Conference  in  mild,  but  firm  tones,  that 
with  all  his  respect  for  the  .decision  of  the  Conference,  he 
must  decline  to  ordain  the  brother  ;  '  but,'  said  he,  '  in  doing 
this,  I  deny  the  imputation  that  I  assume  the  character  of  the 
pope,  for  I  act  according  to  your  laws,  by  Avhich  I  am  forbid- 
den to  consecrate  a  person  to  the  office  of  an  elder,  until  he 
shall  have  travelled  two  years  as  a  deacon,  unless  in  case  of 
missionaries,  and  this  brother  does  not  appear  in  the  charac- 
ter of  a  missionary.  Were  I,  therefore,  to  ordain  him  accord- 
ing to  your  vote,  I  might  be  impeached  at  the  next  General 
Conference  for  an  unconstitutional  act,  for  which  I  could  ofler 
no  reasonable  excuse.  Hence,  it  is  not  an  assumption  of  un- 
authorized power  in  imitation  of  the  pope  of  Rome,  in  defi- 
ance of  law  and  order,  by  which  I  refuse  to  comply  with  your 
request,  but  it  is  a  deference  I  feel  for  constitutional  law, 
made  and  sanctioned  by  yourselves,  and  from  the  infractio)i 
of  which,  I  am  bound  by  my  office  alike  to  protect  both  you 
and  myself  Hepeal  your  law,  and  make  a  difierent  regula- 
tion, and  I  will  bow  to  it  with  all  readiness ;  but  while  the 
law  exists,  I  am  bound  to  obey  it,  and  see  that  it  is  obeyed 
by  others.' 

"  This  sensible  appeal  induced  the  Conference  to  reconsider 
its  vote,  and  the  motion  to  elect  was  withdrawn.  Thus  the 
good  sense  of  the  bishop,  united  with  such  a  commendable 
firmness,  saved  both  him  and  the  Conference  from  perpetrat- 
ing an  unconstitutional  act." 

Having  thus  given  a  description  of  Bishop   M'Kendree's 


BISHOP  m'kendree.  291 

character  in  these  lengthy  extracts,  we  will  proceed  to  trace 
his  history  in  brief  terms,  from  the  Conference  of  1812  until 
the  close  of  his  useful  life. 

During  the  interim  of  the  General  Conference  of  1812- 
1816,  the  duties  and  labors  of  the  episcopacy  devolved  chiefly 
on  Bishop  M'Kendree,  on  account  of  the  infirm  health  of  his 
beloved  and  venerable  colleague,  and  who,  before  the  time 
had  arrived  for  the  session  of  181 G,  had  quietly  left  this  world 
of  cares.  At  the  request  of  the  General  Conference,  and  at 
the  re-interment  of  the  senior  bishop.  Bishop  M'Kendree  de- 
livered a  funeral  oration,  in  which  he  did  ample  justice  to 
the  memory  of  that  great  man.  The  death  of  the  latter,  left 
the  Church  with  but  one  bishop,  until  the  election  of  Bishops 
George  and  Roberts,  on  the  14th  of  May,  1816.  The  addi- 
tion of  these  two  vigorous  ministers  to  the  episcopacy,  was  a 
great  relief  to  Bishop  M'Kendree,  whose  health  was  becoming 
quite  enfeebled  by  his  multifarious  labors.  But  notwithstand- 
ing his  weakness  of  body,  he  continued  to  travel  over  the  con- 
tinent, and  preside  in  the  Conferences  as  usual. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1820,  the  three  bishops  were 
present,  two  of  whom  presided  alternately,  Bishop  M'Kendree 
having  informed  the  Conference  that  the  state  of  his  health 
was  such,  that  he  could  not  preside.  The  Conference  deeply 
sympathized  with  the  venerable  bishop  in  his  bodily  afflic- 
tions, and  passed  the  following  resolutions  : 

"  1.  Resolved,  That  it  is  the  wish  and  desire  of  this  Gene- 
ral Conference  that  Bishop  M'Kendree,  during  his  afflictions 
and  debility,  should  travel  in  such  directions,  or  remain  in 
such  places,  as  he  may  judge  most  conducive  to  his  own 
health  and  comfort ;  and  that  he  be  accordingly,  at  the  close 
of  the  Conference,  respectfully  and  affectionately  requested  so 
to  do. 

"  2.  That  whenever  Bishop  M'Kendree  shall  think  him- 
self able,  it  is  the  desire  of  this  Conference  that  he  should 


292  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

continue,  so  far   as  health  will   permit,  the   exercise  of  his 
episcopal  functions  and  superintending  care. 

"  3.  That  the  committee  appointed  by  the  last  General 
Conference,  to  make  provision  for  the  families  of  the  bishops, 
are  hereby  continued,  and  that  the  same  committee  be  di- 
rected to  take  into  consideration  Bishop  M'Kendree's  health, 
and  to  provide  for  defraying  any  extra  expenses,  which  in 
their  judgment,  his  afflictions  may  make  requisite." 

The  sympathy  of  the  Conference  thus  expressed,  afforded 
great  consolation  to  the  afflicted  bishop,  and  drew  from  him 
acknowledgnients  of  the  warmest  gratitude,  for  the  kindness 
manifested  toward  him.  Notwithstanding  his  release  from 
active  labor,  the  bishop  attended  as  many  of  the  Conferences 
as  he  possibly  could,  and  rendered  himself  especially  useful  in 
the  missionary  department  of  the  work.  At  the  General 
Conference  of  1824,  Bishop  M'Kendree  was  present,  and 
opened  the  ses-sion  by  religious  services,  a  duty  which  always 
devolves  on  the  senior  Superintendent,  if  present.  His  health 
was  so  far  improved  as  to  enable  him  to  preside  in  connection 
with  the  other  bishops  during  the  session,  but  in  view  of  his 
age  and  infirmities,  the  resolutions  of  the  former  General 
Conference  in  relation  to  him,  were  substantially  re-adopted, 
while  for  the  same  reason,  and  the  continued  extension  of  the 
work  and  the  increase  of  Conferences,  two  other  bishops — 
Soule  and  Hedding — were  added  to  the  episcopacy,  and  were 
consecrated  by  Bishop  M'Kendree  to  their  high  and  holy 
office.  At  the  General  Conference  of  1828,  Bishop  M'Ken- 
dree was  also  present,  and  likewise  at  the  Conference  of, 
1832,  which  was  the  last  ever  attended  by  him,  as  previous 
to  the  session  of  183G,  he  was  called  to  his  reward. 

Bishop  M'Kendree  never  fully  recovered  his  health,  so  as 
to  do  effective  service,  after  the  General  Conference  of  1816  ; 
but  he  lingered  along  in  this  vale  of  tears,  travelling,  preach- 
ing, presiding,  &c.,  as  much  as  his  health  and  strength  would 


BISHOP  m'kendree.  293 

allow  him  to  do,  until  the  year  1835,  when  he  was  released 
by  the  "  Great  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  Souls,"  from  his  la- 
bors on  earth.  At  the  session  of  1832,  just  alluded  to,  being 
in  great  feebleness  of  body,  and  being  sensible  that  he  never 
would  meet  in  General  Conference  again,  he,  on  the  day  be- 
fore the  final  adjournment  of  that  body,  arose  from  his  seat, 
and,  with  his  head  silvered  over  and  bleached  by  age,  and  a 
countenance  full  of  love,  and  his  hands  leaning  upon  the  top 
of  his  stafi'  like  the  patriarch  of  old,  he  with  faltering  lips, 
and  his  eyes  full  of  tears,  gave  his  last  address  to  them,  and 
said  like  the  apostle  John,  "  My  brethren  and  children,  love 
one  another.  Let  all  things  be  done  without  strife  or  vain 
glory,  and  strive  to  keep  the  unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bonds 
of  peace  ;"  and,  then  spreading  forth  his  trembling  hands,  and 
lifting  his  still  weeping  eyes  toward  heaven,  he  pronounced 
upon  them  the  apostolic  benediction,  and  took  his  final  fare- 
well. Bishop  M'Kendree's  last  sermon  was  preached  in 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  on  the  23d  of  November,  1834.  On 
the  5th  of  March  following,  this  truly  apostolic  bishop  breathed 
his  last.  His  dying  words  were  :  "  All  is  ivellfor  time  or  for 
eternity.  I  live  by  faith  in  the  Soft  of  God.  For  me  to 
live  is  Christ,  to  die  is  gain." 

"Not  a  cloud  doth  arise  to  darken  my  skies, 
Or  hide  for  a  moment  my  Lord  from  my  eyes." 

In  this  peaceful  and  triumphant  state,  the  weary  pilgrim 
closed  his  eyes  on  all  things  terrestial,  after  a  toilsome  journey 
of  seventy-eight  years  through  this  vale  of  tears. 

"  Farewell,  my  friends,  adieu,  adieu, 
I  can  no  longer  stay  with  you  ; 
My  glittering  crown  appears  in  view. 
All  is  well !     All  is  well ! 

"  Bright  angels  are  from  glory  come, 
'  They're  round  my  bed,  they're  in  my  room  ; 

They  wait  to  waft  my  spirit  home. 
All  is  well !    All  is  weU  !" 


CHAPTEK   XIV. 

BISHOP   GEORGE. 

Enoch  George  was  born  in  Lancaster  county,  State  of 
Virginia,  in  the  year  1767  or  '68.  It  appears  that  his  mother 
died  while  he  was  quite  young,  thus  leaving  him  at  an  age 
when  he  mostly  needed  a  mother's  care  and  a  mother's  in- 
structions. Young  Enoch,  however,  realized  the  truth  of  the 
declaration  of  the  holy  psalmist,  at  least  in  part,  when  he 
says,  "  When  father  and  mother  forsake  me,  the  Lord  will  take 
me  up."  While  he  was  thus  deprived  of  a  mother,  it  fell  to 
the  lot  of  an  elder  sister  to  act  the  parts  both  of  sister  and 
mother,  to  the  youthful  orphan.  During  the  minority  of 
Enoch,  his  father  removed  from  Virginia  to  the  State  of  North 
Carolina,  and  it  was  while  jesiding  in  this  State,  that  he  was 
awakened  to  a  sense  of  his  lost  and  ruined  condition  as  a  sin- 
ner before  God.  These  convictions  of  sin  came  upon  him 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Methodist  ministry,  when 
he  was  in  his  eighteenth  or  nineteenth  year.  Young  as  he 
was,  he  felt  that  he  was  not  too  young  to  be  a  sinner  against 
God,  that  he  was  not  too  young  to  die,  and  that  if  he  died 
without  being  converted  to  God,  he  must  be  damned  forever. 
This  -conviction  led  him  to  seek  for  the  remission  of  sins, 
through  the  blood  of  the  atonement :  and  after  havins:  struf- 
gled  for  liberty,  he  at  length  obtained  forgiveness  at  the  hand 
of  God,  through  our  Lord    Jesus   Christ.     The    forgiveness 


BISHOP    GEORGE.  295 

thus  extended  to  him,  was  not  of  that  nature  which  some 
teach  it  to  be — a  visitation,  or  infliction  of  the  whole  penalty 
of  the  law  on  the  head  of  the  offender,  and  then  an  overlook- 
ing of  the  guilt,  without  reference  to  the  sacrifice  upon  the 
cross — to  the  atonement  made  by  Jesus  Christ — but  a  remis- 
sion of  the  penal  consequences  of  transgression,  so  that  the 
hitherto  condemned  culprit  could  exclaim,  "  Lord  I  I  am 
damned;  but  thou  hast  died,"  or  more  appropriately  in  the 
words  of  Scripture,  "Therefore  being  justified  by  faith  (not 
by  punishment),  Ave  have  peace  with  God  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ." 

After  Enoch's  conversion,  he  was  soon  called  upon,  to 

"  Tell  to  sinners  round, 


What  a  dear  Saviour  he  had  found," 

and  not  only  to  tell  what  the  Lord  had  done  for  his  soul,  but 
to  pray  for  those  who  were  still  out  of  the  ark  of  safety,  and 
to  exhort  them  publicly  to  be  reconciled  to  God.  It  is  true, 
he  did  not  rush  thoughtlessly  and  heedlessly  into  the  vineyard 
of  the  Lord,  without  waiting  for  a  call  from  the  Master  of  the 
vineyard,  and  it  was  after  a  great  sacrifice  of  feeling,  that  he 
consented  to  become  a  preacher  of  the  gospel.  He  had  re- 
ceived at  different  times,  impressions  that  it  was  his  duty  to 
go  out  and  devote  his  entire  time  and  talents  to  the  service 
of  the  Church  ;  he  had  listened  to  the  voice  of  the  Spirit  say- 
ing, "  Go  preach,"  and  after  laboring  in  vain  to  suppress  these 
impressions  in  regard  to  duty,  and  feeling  that  a  "  woe"  would 
be  pronounced  against  him,  if  he  "  preached  not  the  gospel ;" 
he  at  length  said,  "  Here  I  am.  Lord  ;  send  me,"  and  he  en- 
tered at  once  upon  the  work,  but  Avith  much  diffidence  and 
distrust  of  his  own  abilities,  yet  looking  to  the  "  Master  of  the 
vineyard,"  for  grace  and  strength  to  enable  him  to  discharge 
the  duties  of  his  holy  vocation,  in  a  manner  acceptable  to  God 
and  profitable  to  his  fellow-creatures. 


296  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

After  having  accepted  the  call  of  God  and  of  his  Church, 
to  lahor  as  a  herald  of  salvation,  and  having  received  a  "  li- 
cense" or  certificate  of  his  call  by  the  latter,  he  travelled  for 
a  short  time  on  a  circuit  in  connection  with  the  E.ev.  Philip 
Cox,  and  was  then  sent  by  Bishop  Asbury  to  assist  the  Rev. 
Daniel  Asbury  in  forming  a  circuit,  on  the  head-waters  of 
Catawba,  and  Broad  E-ivers.  Having  made  "  full  proof  of 
his  call  to  the  ministry,"  while  laboring  upon  these  circuits, 
he  v/as  at  the  next  session  of  the  Conference,  received  on  trial, 
and  appointed  to  labor  on  the  Pamlico  circuit,  where  he  re- 
mained for  a  single  year,  and  at  the  next  session  of  the  Con- 
ference in  1791,  was  appointed  to  the  Caswell  circuit,  where 
he  also  remained  one  year.  After  having  thus  travelled  two 
years,  and  having  given  further  proof  of  the  divinity  of  his 
call,  he  was  admitted  into  full  connection  with  the  Confer- 
ence, and  was  ordained  a  deacon  in  the  Chui'ch  of  God,  in 
1792,  by  Bishop  Asbury.  He  then  received  an  appointment 
to  Guilfoi'd  circuit,  and  the  following  year,  1793,  was  ap- 
pointed to  Broad  River  where  he  had  previously  labored.  At 
the  close  of  the  latter  year,  he  was  ordained  elder  in  the 
Church,  and  stationed  on  the  Great  Pee  Dee  circuit.  In 
1795,  he  was  stationed  in  Edisto  circuit,  with  instructions  to 
labor  three  months  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina.  In  1796, 
and  '97,  he  filled  the  office  of  presiding  elder,  and  gave  gen- 
eral satisfaction  to  both  pi'eachers  and  people,  as  also  to  the 
appointing  power  of  the  Church,  by  the  manner  in  which  he 
discharged  the  important  and  laborious  duties  of  the  presiding 
eldership. 

In  1798,  Mr.  George's  health  partially  failed,  and  supposing 
the  northern  climate  would  best  agree  with  his  constitution, 
he  travelled  as  far  north  as  New  York.  After  two  years 
spent  in  a  northern  locality,  his  health  was  measurably  re- 
stored, and  he  resumed  his  labors  in  the  southern  section  of 
the  work.     In  1800,  he  was  appointed  presiding  elder  of  Po- 


BISHOP    GEORGE.  297 

tomac  district  in  the  Baltimore  Conference,  but  before  the 
close  of  the  year,  on  account  of  his  arduous  labors,  his  health 
again  failed,  and  becoming  somewhat  discouraged  about  the 
probability  of  being  able  to  render  himself  useful  as  a  travel- 
ling minister,  he  thought  best  to  apply  for  a  location  in  1801, 
which  the  Conference  granted,  and  he  again  entered  the  local 
ranks.  After  a  partial  respite  of  two  years,  from  the  toils 
and  cares  of  the  itinerancy,  his  health  again  rallied,  so  that 
he  ventured  in  1803,  to  re-enter  the  travelling  connection, 
and  was  appointed  to  Frederick  circuit.  In  1804,  he  was  , 
appointed  to  the  presiding  eldership  of  Baltimore  district,  and 
in  1S05,  to  that  of  the  Alexandria  district,  in  the  District  of 
Columbia.  In  1807,  he  received  an  appointment  to  George- 
town, D.  C.  ;  in  the  following  year  to  Frederick  circuit ;  in 
1809,  to  Montgomery  circuit,  and  in  ISIO,  to  Baltimore  cir- 
cuit. In  1811,  he  was  re-appointed  presiding  elder  of  the 
Potomac  district,  where  he  labored  most  efficiently  during  the 
constitutional  term  of  office — four  years — and  at  the  expira- 
tion of  that  term,  was  further  honored  with  the  charge  of 
Georgetown  district. 

It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  so  little  is  known  of  the  labors 
and  history  of  Mr.  George,  previous  to  the  year  1816,  and  it 
is  also  to  be  deplored,  that  subsequent  to  that  time  no  authen- 
tic records  have  been  kept,  so  that  the  Church  might  now  be 
favored  with  incidents  connected  with  the  private  life  and 
public  labors  of  this  truly  great  man.  Such  has  been  the 
paucity  of  materials  from  which  to  furnish  even  a  brief  his- 
tory of  the  life  and  labors  of  Bishops  M'Kendree  and  George, 
that  the  author,  after  surveying  them,  concluded  to  let  them 
pass  without  any  attempt  to  write  a  separate  chapter  for  these 
worthy  men,  but  knowing  that  in  a  work  of  this  character, 
the  reader  might  expect  at  least  a  brief  account  of  all  the  de- 
ceased bishops  of  the  Church  ;  and  that  the  virtues  and  sac-* 
rifices  of  these  men  of  God  demanded  that  their  names  should 


m 


298  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

be  perpetuated ;  and  believing  that  the  reader  will  readily 
forgive  the  comparative  brevity  of  these  articles,  in  view  of 
the  impossibility  of  furnishing  a  correct  account  to  any  con- 
siderable length,  without  the  aid  of  materiel,  the  author  has 
concluded  to  give  the  reader  the  benefit  of  all  the  light  he  can 
find  on  the  subject,  hoping  that  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when 
an  extended  biography  of  the  bishops  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  will  be  given  to  the  Methodist  public* 

Mr.  George  was  elected  a  delegate  by  the  Baltimore  Annual 
Conference,  to  the  General  Conference  of  1816,  which  latter 
body  assembled  on  the  first  of  May,  in  the  city  of  Baltimore. 
The  first  thing  which  seemed  to  arrest  the  attention  of  tlie 
delegates  on  their  meeting  together,  was  the  absence  of  their 
beloved  senior  bishop  Asbury — who  had  a  short  time  previous- 
ly departed  this  life.  His  absence,  and  the  knowledge  of 
his  death,  and  that  the  Conference  would  never  again  see  his 
face  on  earth,  and  have  the  advantage  of  his  long  experience 
in  conducting  the  aflairs  of  the  Church,  and  in  presiding  over 
their  deliberations,  spread  a  melancholy  gloom  over  the  house, 
and  caused  the  members  to  I'eel  that  there  was  a  vacancy  in 
the  episcopacy  which  no  man  could  possibly  fill  with  all  that 
acceptability  and  talent  v/hich  had  characterized  the  episco- 
pal labors  of  the  now-sainted  Asbury.  As  Bishop  M'Kendree 
was  the  only  surviving  bishop,  it  became  necessary  at  an  early 
stage  of  the  session,  to  fill  the  episcopal  bench  by  the  election 
and  consecration  of  two  additional  bishops.  Accordingly  the 
Committee  on  the  episcopacy  reported  that  in  their  opinion 
"  the  superintendency  in  consequence  of  the  ever  to  be  lament- 
ed death  of  our  venerable  father,  Bishop  Asbury,  and  the  im- 

*  Since  this  chapter  was  commenced,  the  author  has  seen  an  adver- 
tisement in  the  Christian  Advocate  and  Journal,  New  York,  cahingfor 
materials  of  the  above  description,  to  aid  in  the  compilation  of  the 
Lives  of  Bishops'  M'Kendree  and  George.  The  author  sincerely  hopes 
the  call  will  be  a  successful  one. 


BISHOP    GEORGE.  299 

paired  state  of  the  health  of  Bishop  M'Kendree,  and. the  in- 
creasing extent  of  the  work,  is  such  as  to  require  immediate 
and  adequate  strengthening,"  and  they  further  recommended 
the  appointment  of  "  two  additional  bishops." 

After  the  adoption  of  the  report  of  the  Committee,  the  Con- 
ference proceeded  on  the  1 1th  day  of  May,  to  the  serious  and 
awfully  responsible  duty  of  electing  two  persons  to  the  episco- 
pacy ;  and  notwithstanding  the  many  brilliant  names  that 
might  have  been  presented  as  candidates  for  the  honors  of  the 
episcopate,  the  choice  of  the  Conference  fell  on  Enoch  George, 
and  on  Robert  R.  Roberts,  the  former  having  fifty-seven,  and 
the  latter  fifty-five  votes,  out  of  one  hundred  and  sLs  that  were 
cast  on  the  occasion — fifty-four  votes  in  either  case  being 
necessary  to  a  choice.  After  their  election,  they  were  solemnly 
set  apart  to  their  sacred  office  by  the  imposition  of  the  hands 
of  Bishop  M'Kendree,  who  was  assisted  in  the  service  by  a 
few  of  the  elders  present. 

After  his  election  and  consecration  to  the  episcopacy, 
Bishop  George  began  to  discharge  all  the  duties  devolving  on 
him  as  a  servant  of  the  Church,  with  that  diligence  and  zeal 
which  has  always  been  characteristic  of  the  Methodist  episco- 
pacy in  America.  The  entire  work  was  so  laid  out  by  the 
three  bishops,  that  each  one  during  the  intervals  of  the  Gen- 
eral Conference,  might  visit  once,  or  oftener,  every  Conference 
in  the  Connection,  thus  preventing  the  possibility  of  a  resem- 
blance in  their  fields  of  labor,  to  a  diocesan  episcopacy. 
They  considered  themselves  as  bishops  of  the  whole  Church, 
and  not  of  any  particular  portion  thereof ;  hence  their  diocess, 
if  it  might  be  called  such,  comprehended  the  whole  of  the 
United  States  and  its  territory,  and  rendered  it  necessary  for 
them  to  travel  the  whole  length  and  breadth  of  the  land. 
Wherever  Bishop  George  went,  he  diffused  the  spirit  of  piety 
among  the  people,  and  of  ministerial  zeal  and  fidelity  among 
the  preachers,  and  in  his  hands,  as  well  as  in  those  of  his  col- 


300  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

leagues,  the  government  of  the  Church  was  administered  with 
all  due  faithfulness,  the  Conferences  being  punctually  attend 
ed,   and  the  union,   peace,   stability   and    prosperity   of  the 
Church  being  very  generally  promoted  in  all  its  borders. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1820,  the  three  bishops  were 
present,  but  on  account  of  the  feeble  health  of  the  senior 
bishop — M'Kendree,  the  labor  of  presiding  over  the  delibera- 
tions of  the  Conference,  devolved  mostly  on  Bishops  George 
and  Roberts,  both  of  whom  in  a  verbal  address,  called  the  at- 
tention of  the  Conference  to  various  subjects  of  public  interest, 
and  especially  to  the  state  of  our  Church  in  Canada,  which 
had  suffered  very  materially  from  the  war  of  1 8 1 2-'  15.  As  all 
intercourse  between  the  States  and  the  Canadas  was  suspend- 
ed during  the  continuance  of  the  war,  the  Methodists  in  those 
Provinces  were  but  partially  supplied  with  preachers  from  the 
American  Conferences  ;  and  the  British  Conference,  anxious 
to  supply  the  Methodists  who  were  subject  to  the  British  gov- 
ernment, with  preaching  and  the  ordinances,  sent  various  mis- 
sionaries to  Upper  and  Lower  Canada.  Many  of  the  Metho- 
dists in  these  provinces,  however,  were  ardently  attached  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United  States,  and 
were  not  at  all  pleased  with  the  appointment  of  English  mis- 
sionaries among  them  ;  while  others  of  the  Canadian  Metho- 
dists, not  only  preferred  the  English  missionaries,  but  insisted 
on  their  remaining  to  the  exclusion  of  the  American  ministers. 
This  state  of  things  begat  mutual  jealousies  and  mistrust 
among  the  members  in  Canada,  and  at  the  General  Conference 
of  1820,  the  subject  came  formally  before  that  body,  by  the 
address  of  the  bishops  just  adverted  to,  and  then  by  means  of 
memorials,  petitions,  remonstrances,  &c.,  from  the  adherents 
of  the  American  preachers.  After  a  long  and  patient  consid- 
eration of  the  whole  matter,  the  Conference  solemnly,  and 
with  great  unanimity,  resolved  that  it  was  "  the  duty  of  the 
bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  to  continue  their 


BISHOP    GEORGE.  301 

episcopal  charge  over  our  Societies  in  the  Canadas,  all  except 
Quebec."  The  Conference  also  ordered  an  address  to  be  sent 
to  the  brethren  in  Canada,  in  which  mention  is  made  of  a 
"  letter  sent  by  Bishop  George  to  the  British  Conference,  con- 
taining a  full  development  of  the  affairs  of  Canada." 

It  M'ould  appear  from  this  address,  that  Bishop  George  had 
been  corresponding  with  the  British  Conference  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  existing  Canadian  difficulties  during  the  interim 
of  the  General  Conference,  but  as  no  direct  and  conclusive  re- 
ply had  been  received,  he  thought  it  necessary  to  present  the 
matter,  as  before  stated,  to  the  consideration  of  the  latter  body. 
It  may  be  proper  to  slate  in  this  connection,  that  the  Rev. 
John,  afterward  Bishop  Emory,  was  at  the  Conference  of 
1820,  appointed  a  delegate  or  representative  to  the  British 
Conference  in  England,  with  full  power  to  adjust  all  existing 
difficulties  between  the  tM'o  bodies,  arising  out  of  the  Cana- 
dian affairs,  and  that  he  happily  succeeded  in  so  doing  to  the 
perfect  and  lasting  satisfaction  of  all  parties  interested  in  the 
matter. 

Nothing  worthy  of  special  notice  appears  to  have  taken 
place  in  the  life  or  history  of  Bishop  George  during  the  inter- 
val between  the  General  Conferences  of  1820-4.  His  time 
was  wholly  occupied  in  attending  to  the  duties  of  his  station 
and  the  interests  of  the  Church.  At  the  session  of  1824,  he  was 
present  in  connection  with  Bishops  M'Kendree  and  Roberts, 
and  as  during  the  preceding  four  years  the  work  had  gradually 
extended  itself,  so  as  to  require  additional  strength  in  the 
episcopal  board,  it  w^as  at  this  General  Conference,  resolved, 
that  two  additional  bishops  be  elected  and  consecrated,  and 
the  choice  fell  on  the  Rev.  Joshua  Soule  and  Rev.  Elijah 
Heading,  who,  on  the  27th  of  May,  1824,  at  12  o'clock  M., 
were  solemnly  consecrated  to  the  office  of  bishops,  by  the 
bishops  then  present,  the  senior  bishop  officiating. 

After  the  adjournment  of  the  General  Conference,  Bishop 


302  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

George,  accompanied  by  Bishop  Hedding,  paid  a  visit  to  the 
brethren  in  Canada,  and  presided  over  the  dehberations  of  the 
Canada  Annual  Conference,  which  held  its  session  in  Hallowell, 
U.  C.     A  desire  had  been  growing,  for  a  few  of  the  past  years, 
on  the  part  of  some  of  the  Canadian  preachers,  headed  by  a 
member   of  the   Canada  Conference,   named   Ryan,  for  the 
establishment  of  an  independent  Church  organization  in  Can- 
ada, with  power  to  appoint  a  bishop  of  their  own  selection, 
who  should  reside  among  them.     A  petition  to  this  efiect  had 
been  presented  to  the  General  Conference  of  1824,  signed  by 
a  portion  of  the   Canadian  preachers ;   but  as  the  General 
Conference  did  not  consider  that  it  had  constitutional  power 
to  grant  the  prayer  of  the  petitioners,  a  resolution  was  passed 
whereby  a  separate   Conference  was  erected  in  Canada,  to 
continue   under  the   superintendence   of  the  bishops  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.     This  decision  of  the  General 
Conference  by  no  means  suited  the  ambitious  views  of  Ryan 
and  his  associates,  by  whom  a  Conference,  consisting  mostly 
of  local  preachers,  was  organized  previous  to  the  assembhng 
of  the  Canada  Conference,  which  had  recently  been  formed 
by  the  action  of  the  General  Conference.     It  was  under  these 
circumstances,  that  Bishops   George  and  Hedding  met  the 
Canada  Conference  at  its  first  session,  and  through  their  laud- 
able endeavors  and  explanations,  peace  was  measurably  re- 
stored among  the  brethren,  and  things  continued  as  they  had 
been,  until  the  next  session  of  the  General  Conference  in  1828, 
when  the  Canada  brethren  were  authorized,  if  they  preferred 
it,  to  constitute  themlllves  into  an  independent  body,  which 
act  was  consummated  by  them  at  their  ensuing  session. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1828,  a  long  and  afiectionate 
address  to  the  Wesleyan  Conference  in  England,  signed  by 
Bishop  George,  as  the  President  of  the  body,  was  adopted,  and 
subsequently  sent  by  the  Rev.  Wm.  Capers,  who  was  appoint- 
ed delegate  to  the  British  Conference.     As  this  address  con- 


BISHOP    GEORGE.  303 

tains  much  information  in  relation  to  the  state  of  the  Church 
at  that  time,  we  will  copy  it  for  the  benefit  of  the  reader. 

"  Address  of  the  Geiieral  Conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcoiml  Church,  to  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Con- 
ference. 

"  Beloved  Fathers  and  Brethren  :  Having  by  the  mercy  of 
our  God  brought  the  present  session  of  our  General  Conference 
near  to  a  close,  we  avail  ourselves  of  this  opportunity,  to  con- 
vey to  you  our  Christian  salutations.  Our  beloved  brother, 
the  Rev.  William  Capers,  whom  we  have  elected  as  our  rep- 
resentative to  your  Conference,  will  more  fully  explain  to  you 
the  state  of  our  affairs,  the  strong  affection  we  have  to  you  as 
our  elder  brethren,  and  our  fervent  desire  to  preserve  with  you 
the  bond  of  peace  and  the  unity  of  the  spirit. 

"  Our  present  session,  though  laborious,  and  involving  va- 
rious and  important  points  vitally  connected  with  the  interests 
of  our  Church,  and  of  Christianity  generally,  has  been  marked 
with  general  harmony  of  feeling,  and  mutual  good- will  ;  and 
we  humbly  trust  it  will  tend  to  strengthen  the  bond  of  union 
among  ourselves,  more  fully  to  combine  our  strength,  to 
concentrate  and  harmonize  our  views  and  affections,  and  to 
give  a  new  impulse  to  the  great  work  in  which  we  are  en- 
gaged. 

"  To  stimulate  us  to  diligence  in  this  most  sacred  of  all 
causes,  the  bright  example  of  your  persevering  efforts  in  the 
cause  of  God,  is  placed  before  us.  Deriving  our  doctrines 
from  the  same  great  fountain  of  truth,  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
and  admitting  the  same  medium  of  interpretation,  the  vener- 
able Wesley  and  his  coadjutors,  and  we  humbly  hope,  pursu- 
ing the  same  great  objects,  the  present  and  future  salvation 
of  souls,  we  desire  ever  to  cultivate  with  you  the  closest  bond 
of  union  and  Christian  fellowship.  Under  the  influence  of 
these  views  and  feelings,  we  have  rejoiced  in  your  prosperity 


304  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

and  witnessed  with  unmingled  pleasure,  the  extension  of  your 
work,  particularly  in  your  rnis^onary  department. 

"  With  you  also,  we  have  our  portion  of  afflictions.  Through 
the  disafiection  of  some,  and  the  honest,  though  as  we  think, 
mistaken  zeal  of  others,  in  some  parts  of  our  extended  work, 
the  harmony  of  our  people  has  been  disturbed,  and  principles 
to  us  novel  in  their  character,  and  deleterious  in  their  in- 
fluence on  the  excellent  system  we  have  received  from  our 
fathers,  have  been  industriously  circulated.  Though  we  may 
not  flatter  ourselves  that  these  unhappy  excitements  are  fully 
terminated,  yet  we  presume  to  hope  that  the  decided  and  al- 
most unanimous  expression  of  disapprobation  to  such  proceed- 
ings by  this  General  Conference,  and  among  our  preachers 
and  people  generally,  will  greatly  weaken  the  disaffection, 
and  tend  to  correct  the  errors  of  the  wandering,  as  well  as  to 
confirm  and  strengthen  the  hand  of  all  who  desire  to  cleave 
to  the  Lord,  '  in  one  faith,  one  baptism,  and  one  hope  of  our 

calling.' 

"  Since  our  last  session  we  have  witnessed  with  joy  and 
gratitude  an  unusual  effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Revivals 
of  religion  have  been  numerous  and  extensive  in  almost  every 
part  of  our  continent.  Upward  of  sixty-nine  thousand  have 
been  added  to  our  Church  during  the  past  four  years,  and  the 
work  is  still  extending.  Stretching  our  lines  over  so  large  a 
continent,  many  parts  of  our  work,  particularly  in  the  new 
settlements,  require  great  personal  sacrifices  to  carry  to  them 
the  blessings  of  our  ministry,  and  much  diligence  and  patient 
perseverance  to  preserve  our  beloved  people  in  the  unity  of 
the  faith.  For  these  great  objects  ice  are  not  sufficient — 'our 
sufficiency  is  of  God  !  But  having  devoted  ourselves  exclu- 
sively to  this  work,  and  confiding  in  the  strength  and  goodness 
of  Him,  whose  we  are,  and  whom  we  profess  to  serve  in  the 
fellowship  of  the  Gospel,  we  hope  not  to  faint  in  the  day  of 
trial,  but  to  persevere  in  conveying  the  glad  tidings  of  peace 


BISHOP    GEORGE.  306 

to  the  destitute  inhabitants  of  our  land,  until  every  part  of  it 
shall  break  forth  into  singing,  and  hail  with  joy  the  coming 
of  the  Lord. 

"  Cheered  with  this  prospect,  we  are  endeavoring  to 
strengthen  each  other  in  the  Lord.  And  the  happy  results  of 
our  missionary  labors,  both  among  the  frontier  settlements  of 
our  white  population  and  the  Indian  tribes,  particularly  the 
latter,  are  pleasing  indications  of  the  Divine  approbation.  It 
does  indeed  seem  as  if  the  set  time  had  come  to  favor  these 
lost  tribes  of  our  wildernesses,  and  to  bring  them  into  the  fold 
of  Christ.  These  natives,  hitherto  '  peeled  and  scattered'  in 
the  United  States  and  territories,  as  well  as  in  Upper  Canada, 
are  bowing  to  the  yoke  of  Christ  with  astonishing  alacrity, 
and  thus  giving  evidence  that  his  grace  is  sufficient  to  con- 
vert even  the  heart  of  a  savage,  and  to  transform  him  to  the 
gentleness  of  Christ.  On  this  subject,  however,  we  need  not 
enlarge,  but  refer  you  to  ovir  periodical  works — the  extensive 
circulation  of  which,  among  our  people,  gives  increased  im- 
pulse to  the  work,  carrying  information  cheering  and  delight- 
ful to  many  thousands,  of  the  efficacy  and  triumph  of  redeem- 
ing mercy, — and  to  our  beloved  brother  and  representative, 
the  bearer  of  this  address,  who  will  more  particularly  tell  you, 
'  face  to  face,'  how  much  we  rejoice  to  be  co-workers  with 
you  in  the  extensive  field  of  labor,  and  to  witness  such  evident 
tokens  of  the  Divine  goodness  to  our  fallen  world. 

"  Recollecting  the  Christian  deportment,  the  ministerial 
gravity  and  dignity,  and  what  is  more  endearing  to  us,  the 
brotherly  affection  of  your  late  delegate  to  our  Conference, 
the  Rev.  Richard  Reece,  and  his  amiable  companion,  the 
Rev.  John  Hannah,  both  of  whom  have  left  a  sweet  savor 
behind  them,  we  take  much  pleasure  in  giving  to  you  this 
renewed  assurance  of  our  unabated  attachment  to  those  doc- 
trines and  that  discipline,  by  which  both  you  and  we  are  dis- 
tinguished ;  to  set  our  seal  to  the  maxim  that  '  the  Wesleyaa 

20 


306  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

Methodists  are  one  throughout  the  world ;'  and  also  our  desire 
that  the  intercourse  between  us,  by  the  mutual  exchange  of 
delegates,  may  be  kept  up  and  continued ;  and  that  as  a 
means  of  our  edification  and  comfort,  we  shall  be  happy  to 
receive  whomsoever  you  may  appoint  to  visit  us  at  our  next 
session. 

"  With  sentiments  of  unfeigned  respect  and  Christian  af- 
fection, we  are,  dear  brethren,  one  with  you  in  the  fellowship 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

"  Signed  in  behalf  of  the  General  Conference  of  the  Metho- 
dist  Episcopal  Church,  held  at  Pittsburgh,  (Pa.,)  May,  1828. 

"  Enoch  George,  President. 

"  Martin  Euter,  Secretary." 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1828,  at  which  the  above 
document  was  prepared.  Bishop  George  was  present,  and  as- 
sisted his  episcopal  colleagues  in  the  discharge  of  their  official 
duties.  Nothing  calling  for  special  remark,  otherwise  oc- 
curred, at  this  session  of  the  body,  if  we  may  except  the  im- 
portant fact,  that  it  was  the  last  session  of  the  General  Con- 
ference that  Bishop  George  ever  attended  ;  he  having  on  the 
23d  of  the  ensuing  August,  died  at  Staunton,  Virginia,  in  the 
sixty-first  year  of  his  age,  and  in  the  thirty-eighth  year  of  his 
ministry.     His  last  words  were  :   "  Glory  to  God  I" 

Bishop  George  was  a  man  greatly  and  deservedly  beloved 
by  all  who  knew  him,  and  as  might  be  supposed,  his  death 
was  severely  felt  and  deeply  lamented,  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  our  Zion  Much  might  be  said  relative  to  his 
character  and  conduct  as  a  Christian  and  Christian  minister. 
A  few  words,  however,  on  this  point,  must  suffice.  Dr.  Bangs, 
who  was  personally  acquainted  with  him,  thus  describes  him: 

"  That  which  distinguished  Bishop  George  among  his  fel- 
lows, was  the  warmth  of  his  zeal  and  the  quickness  of  his 
movements.     This,  uo  doubt,  arose  from  the  depth  of  his 


BISHOP    GEORGE.  307 

piety.  He  seemed,  indeed,  to  live  and  walk  with  God,  This 
was  evident  from  the  uniformity  of  his  devotions,  as  well  as 
from  his  general  deportment,  hoth  before  the  public,  and  in 
his  more  private  intercourse  with  his  friends.  He  always 
rose  early  in  the  morning,  and  if  circumstances  permitted, 
would  spend  the  morning  before  breakfast  in  a  solitary  walk 
in  the  field,  for  meditation  and  private  devotion  ;  and  in  these 
lonely  rambles,  he  delighted  in  the  contemplation  of  the  Deity 
as  he  is  seen  in  his  works  and  ways,  and  iu  holding  commu- 
nion with  him  in  praise  and  prayer. 

"He  was  naturally  eloquent,  and  his  eloquence  was  all  nat- 
ural. He  never  sought  to  embellish  his  subjects  with  arti- 
ficial tinsels  of  pulpit  oratory,  substituted  by  some,  for  those 
overflowings  of  the  heart,  which  proceed  from  being  filled  and 
fired  with  the  truth  which  the  lips  utter.  Hence  his  '  preach- 
ing was  not  with  the  enticing  words  of  mans'  wisdom,'  but  it 
was  in  '  demonstration  and  power,'  and  '  with  much  assurance 
in  the  Holy  Ghost.'  He  was  more  distinguished,  however,  for 
aflxjcting  the  heart  and  moving  the  passions,  than  for  enlight- 
ening the  understanding  and  informing  the  judgmerrt.  When- 
ever, therefore,  you  saw  him  begin  to  rub  his  eyes  with  his 
fingers,  as  if  wiping  thence  the  gushing  tear,  you  might  expect 
a  pouring  forth  of  those  streams  of  gospel  truth,  generally  of 
that  declamatory  or  hortatory  character  which  were  calcu- 
lated to  move  the  hearer  to  weep  or  shout,  according  to  his 
predominant  feeling  And  he  seldom  concluded  a  sermon 
without  greatly  moving  his  audience  in  either  of  these  ways, 
because  he  was  first  moved  himself  by  those  sacred  and 
heavenly  emotions  which  were  evidently  produced  by  the  en- 
ergetic workings  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"  Viewing  him,  therefore,  simply  as  an  ambassador  of  God, 
sent  peculiarly  to  awaken  the  conscience  of  the  sinner,  and  to 
alarm  or  strengthen  the  faith  of  the  believer,  and  quicken 
him  in  the  divine  life,  he  was  most  eminently  qualified  for 


308  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

his  great  work.  In  addition  to  the  holy  pathos  with  which 
he  breathed  out  the  '  words  of  truth  and  soberness,'  his  voice 
was  exceedingly  musical,  shrill,  and  clear,  his  action  natural 
and  expressive  of  the  feelings  of  his  heart,  and  all  calculated 
to  impress  the  hearer  with  the  solemn  truths  which  fell  from 
his  lips.  If,  however,  we  may  judge  him  by  other  tests  of  a 
pulpit  orator,  we  should  detect  some  defects.  In  education 
he  was  quite  deficient,  and  his  general  reading  was  very 
limited.  For  this  lack  of  acquired  knowledge,  he  might  be 
considered  as  furnishing  more  than  a  substitute,  in  the  point- 
edness  of  his  appeals,  and  the  manner  in  which  he  fortified 
all  his  positions  by  direct  appeals  to  the  sacred  Scriptures. 
And  if  he  dealt  in  detached  sentences,  instead  of  following  a 
consecutive  order  and  arrangement  of  argumentation,  he  was 
abundantly  compensated  in  the  blessed  efiects  which  he  saw 
pi'oduced  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  heard  him,  and  knew 
how  to  appreciate  the  value  of  a  sermon  more  from  its  unction 
than  its  argument.  His  premises  were  found  where  every 
minister  of  Christ  should  find  them — in  the  Bible ;  and  his 
conclusions  were  then  drawn  without  much  regard  to  logical 
arrangement,  and  certainly  without  any  circumlocution,  direct 
and  with  a  force  it  was  hardly  possible  to  resist.  And  from 
the  earnestness  of  his  manner,  some  have  entirely  mistaken 
his  object  and  his  motives.  Beholding  the  emotions  which 
were  very  generally  produced  in  the  pious  part  of  his  hearers, 
sometimes  expressed  in  loud  shouts  of  praise,  those  who  were 
mere  outward  court  worshippers,  or  uninterested  hearers,  have 
retired  from  the  sanctuary  under  a  conviction  that  Bishop 
George  was  acting  the  part  of  a  mountebank,  speaking  for  the 
purpose  of  gaining  shouts  of  applause.  A  sad  mistake  this. 
He  ascended  the  pulpit,  not  as  a  stage  player  mounts  the 
stage,  but  as  an  ambassador  of  Christ,  commissioned  to  de- 
clare his  counsel  unto  the  people,  and  to  negotiate  a 


BISHOP    GEORGE.  309 

'  Peace  'twixt  earth  and  heaven.' 

And  in  the  fulfilment  of  this  commission,  he  did  not  trifle  with 
the  awful  realities  of  time  and  eternity,  but  poured  forth  from 
a  full  heart  the  solemn  truths  of  God,  in  a  manner  which 
penetrated  the  conscience  and  drew  forth  the  confession,  hy 
sobs  and  shouts,  that  God  was  with  him  of  a  truth. 

"  Such  was  Bishop  George  in  the  pulpit.  In  the  chair  of 
the  Conference  he  was  less  acceptable.  Though  he  was  al- 
ways intent  on  accomplishing  the  greatest  amount  of  good,  by 
the  best  possible  means,  he  often  defeated  his  purpose  by  the 
haste  with  which  he  endeavored  to  despatch  the  business. 
His  manner,  also,  was  sometimes  abrupt  and  undignified,  and 
of  course  did  not  always  command  that  respect  which  every 
conscientious  mind  would  wish  to  feel,  and  pay  to  a  superior. 
Nor  were  his  decisions  always  made  with  that  wisdom  and 
deliberation,  needful  to  produce  a  conviction  of  their  correct- 
ness in  all  cases.  He  appeared,  therefore,  to  much  greater 
advantage  in  the  pulpit,  than  in  the  chair  of  the  Conference  ; 
and  had  he  lived  and  died  simply  as  an  itinerant  Methodist 
preacher,  he  had  commanded  more  respect,  than  was  felt  for 
him  as  a  general  superintendent  of  the  Church.  These  de- 
fects, however,  detract  nothing  from  his  natural  worth,  nor 
render  him  less  worthy  of  affection  as  a  Christian  bishop,  or 
as  a  man  deeply  and  seriously  devoted  to  the  best  interests  of 
the  human  family  ; — for  who  is  perfect  in  every  respect  ? 

"  But  in  whatever  light  we  view  him,  he  will  long  be  re- 
membered with  affection,  as  one  of  the  early  pioneers,  in  the 
ranks  of  the  itinerancy,  as  an  indefatigable  laborer  in  the 
Lord's  vineyard,  who  won  many  sinners  to  Christ,  and  was 
always  a  sun  of  consolation  to  God's  believing  people. 

"  The  warmth  of  his  affections  won  him  many  friends,  and 
the  affability  of  his  manners  endeared  him  to  them  as  a 
brother  beloved,  who  might  be  approached  at  all  times,  with 
a  cheerful  confidence. 


310  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

"  His  death  was  sudden  and  unexpected.  Its  announce- 
ment, therefore,  spread  a  temporary  gloom  over  the  Method- 
ist community.  But  death  did  not  find  him  unprepared.  He 
met  this  '  last  enemy'  not  only  vi'ith  meek  submission,  but 
with  a  holy  triumph,  and  a  well-grounded  hope  of  eternal 
life.  As  the  words,  '  Glory  to  God  !'  had  often  fell  from  his 
lips  in  the  pulpit,  so  in  his  last  moments,  in  full  view  of  the 
invisible  world,  he  shouted  forth  the  praise  of  God,  and  no 
doubt  went  to  the  shades  of  bliss  and  immortality." 

Thus  far  the  historiographer  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  in  relation  to  the  character  of  Bishop  George ;  and 
from  the  account  thus  candidly,  and  as  we  have  no  doubt, 
impartially  given,  we  learn  that  the  most  eminent  men  are 
not  above  criticism,  and  that,  however  perfect  a  man  may  be 
in  many  respects,  yet  absolute  perfection  cannot  be  predicated 
of  any  mortal  even  in  his  "  best  estate."  Bishop  George,  how- 
ever, with  all  his  imperfections,  was  undeniably  a  great  man, 
and  what  is  of  still  more  importance,  he  was  a  lioly  man. 
Let  his  name  and  memory,  therefore,  be  honored  by  succeed- 
ing generations  ;  for  "  the  memory  of  the  just  is  blessedy 

We  cannot  close  this  brief  account  of  the  life  and  death  of 
Bishop  George,  without  giving  the  following  tribute  of  respect 
to  his  memory,  written  by  the  late  lamented  Dr.  Fisk,  presi- 
dent of  the  Wesleyan  University  at  Middletown,  Conn.  It 
was  originally  written  in  a  lady's  Album,  and  was  afterward 
inserted  in  the  Christian  Advocate  and  Journal. 

"  BISHOP    GEORGE. 

"  Bishop  George  has  gone  to  heaven.  He  left  this  world 
for  glory  on  the  23d  of  August  last  ;  and  from  the  known 
tendency  of  his  soul  heavenward,  and  his  joyous  haste  to  bo 
gone,  there  can  be  little  doubt  but  his  chariot  of  fire  reached 
the  place  of  its  destination   speedily ;    and  the  triumphant 


BISHOP    GEORGE.  311 

saint  has  long  ere  this,  taken  his  seat  with  the  heavenly  com- 
pany.    And  since  he  is  gone,  the  owner  of  this,  to  whom  I 
am  a  stranger,  will  pardon  me  if,  upon  one  of  her  pages,  I 
register  my  affectionate  remembrance  of  a  man,  whom  I  both 
loved  and   admired,  and  at  the  report  of  whose  death,  my 
heart  has  been  made  sick.     I  loved  him,  for  he  was  a  man 
of  God,  devoted  to  the  Church  with  all  his  soul  and  strength  ; 
I  loved  him,  for  his  was  an  affectionate  heart,  and  he  was  my 
friend.     But  the  servant  of  God,  the  servant  of  the  Church, 
and  my  friend,  is  dead.     I  admired  him — not  for  his  learn- 
ing, for  ho  was  not  a  learned  man ;  but  Nature  had  done 
much  for  him.     She  had  fashioned  his  soul  after  an  enlarged 
model,  and  had  given  it  an  original  cast  and  an  independent 
bearing  ;  into  the  heart  she  had  instilled  the  sweetening  in- 
fluences of  a  tender  sympathy,  and  infused  into  the  soul,  the 
fire  of  a  spirit-stirring  zeal,  sustained  by  a  vigorous  and  un- 
tiring energy ;  but  to  finish  his  character,  grace  came  in,  and 
renewed  the  whole  man  ;    and  the  Spirit  anointed  him  to 
preach  the  gospel ;  and  the  Church  consecrated  him  to  be  one 
of  her  bishops.     He  superintended  with  dignity  and  faithful- 
ness ;  he  preached  the  gospel  with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  doivn 
from  heaven.     The  unction  that  attended  his  word,  was  not 
merely  like  the  consecrating  oil  that  ran  down  Aaron's  beard, 
but  it  was  like  the  anointing  of  the  Spirit  that  penetrates  the 
heart.     He  preached  with  his  soul  full  of  glory  ;  no  wonder 
then,  that  his  dying  words  were,  'lam  going!  and  thafs 
enough!  glory!  glory!'     Yes,  thou  triumphant  Spirit,  that 
is  enough.     '  May  I  die  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  may 
my  last  end  be  like  his.'  " 


CHAPTER  XV. 

KEY.    BISHOP    ROBERTS. 

Robert  Richford  Roberts  was  born  August  2d,  1778,  in 
Frederick  County,  Maryland.  His  father  was  a  respectable 
farmer,  and  was  a  zealous  member  of  the  Church  of  England, 
and  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution.  Robert  R.  was  put  to  school 
when  between  four  and  five  years  of  age,  and  before  he  was 
seven  years  old,  he  was  able  to  read  the  Bible  quite  intelligi- 
bly. He  was  baptized  in  infancy  according  to  the  usages  of 
the  Church  of  England,  and  when  older  was  taught  the  Cat- 
echism of  the  Church,  and  was  while  but  a  boy,  the  subject 
of  deep  religious  impressions,  although  his  parents  were  not 
at  that  time  experimentally  pious,  but  rested  in  the  outward 
form  of  religion. 

When  young  Roberts  was  about  seven  years  of  age,  his  fa- 
ther removed  to  Westmoreland  County,  Pennsylvania,  where 
the  inhabitants  were  mostly  Presbyterians,  and  as  the  elder 
Roberts  entertained  a  dislike  for  any  kind  of  worship,  that 
was  not  of  "the  Church,"  he  seldom  worshipped  with  them. 
Three  years  after  his  removal  to  Pennsylvania,  the  neighbor- 
hood where  he  resided  was  visited  by  Methodist  preachers, 
but  he  would  not  hear  them,  believing  them  to  be  false  proph- 
ets. At  length  Mrs.  Roberts  was  constrained  to  go,  and  took 
young  Robert  R.  with  her.  She  was  powerfully  convicted 
under  the  sermon,  but  on  account  of  the  wishes  of  her  hus- 
band, she  refrained  from  going  to  hear  them  again  for  a  length 


BISHOP    ROBERTS.  313 

of  time.  The  other  members  of  the  family,  however,  contin- 
ued to  attend  from  time  to  time,  and  a  quarterly-meeting  be- 
ing held  in  the  neighborhood,  the  elder  son,  John,  was  pre- 
vailed upon  by  his  sisters  to  attend  the  love-feast,  and  bring 
back  an  account  of  what  might  transpire  there.  On  his  re- 
turn, they  were  all  curiosity  to  know  what  he  had  seen  and 
heard,  and  to  their  astonishment  he  told  them,  he  believed 
the  Methodists  were  a  good  people.  This  reply  was  strange 
to  young  Robert  E,.,  who  had  heretofore  heard  his  brother  say 
very  severe  things  against  that  people. 

Soon  after  this,  one  of  his  sisters  being  under  conviction, 
retired  to  the  woods  to  pray ;  young  Robert  overheard  her 
asking  God  to  pardon  her  sins,  and  he  wondered  very  much, 
what  enormous  sin  she  could  have  committed,  to  afiect  her 
thus  deeply.  Soon  after  this,  he  learned,  that  three  of  his 
sisters  had  united  with  the  Methodist  Church,  and  that  his 
elder  sister,  Sarah,  had  actually  prayed  in  public  I  Such  was 
the  effect  of  this  young  lady's  prayers  and  zeal,  in  the  cause 
of  Christ,  that  shortly,  others  of  the  children,  together  with 
the  father  and  mother,  joined  the  "  sect  everywhere  spoken 
against,"  and  the  house  of  the  elder  Roberts  became  a  regular 
preaching  place,  and  a  home  for  the  preachers.  When  Rob- 
ert R.  was  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  obtained  the  evi- 
dence of  his  acceptance  with  God,  and  soon  after  joined  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  also  commenced  attending 
school  again,  a  privilege  he  had  not  enjoyed  since  he  left 
Maryland. 

In  the  spring  of  1796,  young  Roberts  being  nearly  eighteen 
years  of  age,  in  company  with  four  other  young  men,  left  his 
father's  house  and  went  to  Shenango,  now  Mercer  County, 
Pa.  The  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania  had  passed  an  act 
granting  four  hundred  acres  of  land  to  actual  settlers  under 
certain  conditions.  Robert  R.  and  one  of  his  brothers  think- 
ing this  to  be  a  good  offer,  concluded  to  comply  with  the  coa- 


314  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

ditions  prescribed,  and  thus  secure  a  home  and  independence. 
They  travelled  on  foot,  and  carried  their  provisions  in  knap- 
sacks upon  their  backs.  They,  however,  caught  plenty  of 
wild  game  by  the  way,  which  added  greatly  to  their  necessa- 
rily scanty  store.  In  the  meantime,  his  brother  and  another 
of  his  associates  becoming  discouraged  with  the  prospect  be- 
fore them,  returned  home,  but  Robert  and  two  others  kept 
on  their  way,  until  they  arrived  at  a  place  where  the  land 
suited  them,  and  where  they  resolved  to  make  a  location. 
Here  they  fell  in  with  two  other  young  men,  who  were  also 
looking  for  land,  and  the  five  resolved  to  keep  together,  and 
form  a  settlement  in  the  wilderness.  They  cut  logs,  built  a 
cabin,  covering  it  with  chestnut  bark,  and  deadened  a  few 
trees.  Soon,  however,  their  provisions  ran  out,  and  Mr.  Rob- 
erts had  no  money  to  purchase  any  more ;  one  of  his  asso- 
ciates, however,  lent  him  some,  and  they  had  to  go  twenty 
miles  to  obtain  a  supply,  and  when  obtained  were  obliged  to 
carry  it  on  their  backs  the  same  distance.  The  price  which 
they  paid  for  provisions  and  seed  for  their  ground,  was  high 
compared  with  present  prices  ;  corn  was  two  dollars  per  bush- 
el, and  potatoes  three  dollars  !  The  crops  of  the  succeeding 
summer  came  in  very  scantily,  the  corn  being  mostly  destroy- 
ed by  squirrels.  Mr.  Roberts,  accordingly,  made  up  his 
mind  to  return  home,  and  assist  in  harvesting.  When  he 
arrived  at  the  paternal  mansion,  his  parents  and  friends  were 
greatly  rejoiced  to  see  him,  fearing  before  his  arrival  that  he 
was  dead. 

In  the  spring  of  1797,  Mr.  Roberts  in  company  with  two 
of  his  brothers,  and  six  other  persons,  started  once  more  for 
Shenango.  Here  they  remained  for  some  time,  clearing  land, 
planting  corn,  &c.  His  brothers,  however,  soon  returned 
home,  designing  ultimately  to  settle  on  the  lands  near  Rob- 
ert's location.  After  their  departure,  so  greatly  was  our 
young  pioneer  distressed  for  provisions,  that  he  actually  sub- 


BISHOP    ROBERTS.  315 

sisted  for  three  weeks  on  squirrels  and  salt !  until  his  brothers 
returned  again,  in  company  with  his  father  and  one  of  his 
sisters,  who  brought  with  them  four  horses  laden  with  pro- 
visions, and  four  cows.  Robeil  R.  and  his  sister  determined 
to  spend  the  winter  in  the  settlement,  which  they  accordingly 
did  very  comfortably,  he  spending  his  time  mostly  in  hunting, 
and  meeting  with  some  providential  escapes  from  the  fury  of 
wild  beasts,  that  he  wounded  without  instantly  killing,  and 
she  being  in  more  or  less  dread  of  the  Indians,  who  wandered 
through  the  forest.  In  the  spring  of  1798,  Mr.  Roberts  was 
joined  by  his  father,  brothers,  and  another  sister,  all  of  whom 
had  come  to  settle  permanently  in  the  new  country. 

About  this  time,  Mr.  Roberts  having  gone  to  procure  more 
provisions,  was  on  the  way  entertained  at  the  house  of  a  local 
preacher,  and  in  the  neighborhood  a  meeting  was  held.  After 
a  sermon  by  the  local  preacher — Mr.  Gurwell — the  latter 
called  on  Mr.  Roberts  to  say  something  by  way  of  exhorta- 
tion, to  the  people.  He  accordingly  made  the  attempt,  and 
delivered  a  brief  address  fraught  with  pathos  and  good  sense, 
which  betokened  the  future  greatness  of  the  yoimg  backwoods- 
man.    This  was  his  first  effort  at  public  speaking. 

About  the  middle  of  April,  Mr.  Roberts  and  his  younger 
brother  started  for  their  old  place  of  residence,  for  the  purpose 
of  conveying  to  Shenango  a  part  of  the  famil}',  which  had 
been  left  behind.  Among  these  last,  was  his  maternal  grand- 
father, Mr.  Richford,  an  old  gentleman  ninety-three  years  of 
age.  As  the  only  mode  of  conveyance  was  by  horseback,  it 
was  extremely  difficult  for  the  old  man  to  pursue  the  journey, 
as  streams  of  considerable  width  and  depth  had  to  be  forded. 
To  add  to  the  difficulty  of  the  undertaking,  the  old  grand- 
father being  in  his  dotage,  was  somewhat  peevish  and  fretful, 
and  not  a  little  stubborn,  as  well  as  fearful.  However,  by 
dint  of  stratagem  and  perseverance,  they  succeeded  in  getting 
the  old  man  along,  at  the  expense  of  an  occasional  wetting. 


316  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

Our  emigrants  were  ten  days  on  the  journey,  and  lay  out 
every  night,  there  being  no  taverns  or  dwelling-houses  the 
whole  distance.  Robert  R,.  carried  bags  of  flour  and  other 
provisions,  over  streams,  by  walking  on  the  trunks  of  fallen 
trees.  Nancy  Roberts  drove  three  cows  and  two  pigs,  carry- 
ing an  axe  on  her  shoulder,  and  walking  all  the  way.  Sarah 
walked  also  the  entire  distance,  carrying  a  spinning-wheel  on 
her  shoulder.  Another  sister,  Sophia,  sometimes  rode  behind 
the  pack,  on  one  of  the  horses,  and  sometimes  walked. 

The  removal  of  the  Roberts  family  to  Shenango,  was  the 
means  of  introducing  Methodism  into  that  hitherto  wilderness 
country,  so  that  in  the  summer  of  1798,  a  Society  was  formed 
by  local  preachers  who  had  also  emigrated  to  that  region. 
Robert  R.  was  appointed  leader  of  the  class,  and  made  him- 
self useful  in  holding  prayer-meetings,  &c.  In  the  meantime, 
the  country  was  becoming  rapidly  inhabited  by  emigrants 
from  older  places,  so  that  there  were  religious  meetings  fre- 
quently held  among  them  by  local  preachers,  who  were  some- 
times assisted  by  Mr.  Roberts.  In  the  winter  of  1799,  Robert 
R.  went  to  his  former  place  of  residence,  with  a  large  quanti- 
ty of  furs,  amounting  in  value  to  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars,  the  proceeds  of  his  hunting  during  the  former  part  of 
the  winter.  Before  his  return  home,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Ehzabeth  Oldham,  of  York  County,  Pa.,  and  shortly  after 
their  marriage,  they  took  up  their  line  of  march  for  Shenango ; 
Mrs.  Roberts,  the  new-made  bride,  riding  on  a  pack-horse, 
and  with  the  bridegroom  being  obliged  to  remain  out  all 
night  in  the  woods,  with  snow  on  the  ground,  and  the  weather 
being  severely  cold,  it  being  the  beginning  of  February.  To 
add  to  the  dreariness  of  their  situation,  Lewis  Roberts,  who 
had  charge  of  the  horses  carrying  the  provision  for  the  journey, 
had  proceeded  somewhat  in  the  advance,  and  Robert  and  his 
bride  having  been  overtaken  by  the  darkness  of  the  evening 
before  coming  up  with  him,  were  compelled  to  lie  down  on 


BISHOP    ROBERTS,  3l7 

their  snowy  bed  dinnerless  and  supperless,  having  eaten  noth- 
ing since  early  in  the  morning.  Sleep  was  of  course  out  of 
the  question,  especially  as  a  pack  of  hungry  v/olves  began  to 
howl  around  most  lustily.  "  Robert,"  exclaimed  the  bride, 
"  they  will  certainly  eat  us  up  before  morning."  "  JNo,  Betsy," 
replied  the  courageous  bridegroom,  "they  will  be  afraid  to 
approach  us ;  and  if  they  do,  this  half  burned  stick,  with  its 
red  blaze,  will  terrify  them,  so  that  they  will  never  face  it  to 
assault  us."  In  the  morning,  they  resumed  their  journey, 
and  overtook  Lewis,  who  had  found  shelter  in  an  inhabited 
hut  during  the  night,  and  through  the  good  providence  of 
God,  they  in  due  time  all  arrived  home  in  safety ;  and  the 
new-married  couple  took  up  their  residence  in  a  small  log 
hut,  without  a  window  to  let  in  the  light  and  keep  out  the 
cold,  without  a  chair,  or  bedstead,  or  table,  except  those 
made  in  the  rudest  possible  manner,  but  where  they  found 
that  contentment  and  true  happiness,  which  are  so  frequently 
found  wanting  in  the  splendid  mansions  of  the  great. 

In  the  summer  of  1800,  Robert  R.  received  a  license  to 
exhort.  Previously  to  this  time,  his  mind  had  been  greatly 
exercised  in  regard  to  his  being  called  of  God  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  but  determining,  if  possible,  to  disobey  the  call,  he 
had  thus  far  lived  without  any  attempt  to  discharge  the  du- 
ties which  he  felt  were  "imposed  upon  him,  and  tried  to  per- 
suade himself  that  God  would  release  him  from  the  discharge 
of  ministerial  duties,  because  he  viewed  himself  to  be  totally 
unqualified  for  the  work  ;  but  so  thought  not  his  friends  and 
neighbors,  who,  knowing  his  talents,  and  being  acquainted 
with  his  consistent  daily  deportment  as  a  Christian,  were  per- 
suaded that  there  was  a  work  for  him  to  do.  He,  however, 
continued  to  stifle  his  convictions,  and  the  warm  and  earnest 
entreaties  of  his  friends,  until  at  length  he  became  very  un- 
happy and  uneasy  in  his  mind,  so  much  so,  that  he  was 
obliged  for  the  sake  of  recovering  his  lost  peace,  to  make  an 


318  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

attempt  to  preach,  let  the  consequences  be  what  they  might, 
although  he  was  almost  certain  that  he  would  utterly  fail  in 
the  attempt.  He  accordingly  preached  from  the  text,  "  0, 
Lord,  revive  thy  work,"  and  the  Society  were  so  much  pleased 
with  his  first  effort,  that  they  immediately  recommended  him 
to  the  Cluarterly  Conference  as  a  suitable  person  to  preach 
the  G-ospel.  As  the  quarterly  meeting  for  his  own  circuit 
was  passed,  he  was  advised  by  the  preacher  in  charge,  to  re- 
pair to  another  quarterly  meeting  on  an  adjacent  circuit,  with 
his  recommendation.  Having  now  fully  resolved  to  offer  his 
services  to  the  Church,  not  only  as  a  preacher,  but  as  an. 
itinerant,  he  complied  with  the  advice,  and  being  furnished 
with,  a  letter  from  the  preacher  in  charge,  to  the  (Quarterly 
Conference  of  Ohio  circuit,  he  rather  reluctantly,  because  of 
his  being  a  stranger,  attended  the  quarterly  meeting  of  the 
above  circuit,  and  received  a  license  to  preach,  and  a  recom- 
mendation to  join  the  Baltimore  Annual  Conference. 

After  receiving  his  license  and  recommendation,  he  returned 
home  to  make  preparation  for  the  itinerant  field,  although  he 
was  quite  doubtful  whether  the  Annual  Conference  Avould  re- 
ceive him,  especially  as  he  was  a  married  man,  and  as  but 
few  married  men  in  those  days,  were  received  into  the  travel- 
ling connection.  He  was,  however,  received,  and  appointed 
to  Carlisle  circuit,  Pa.  As  soon  as  he  received  information 
of  his  appointment,  he  distributed  the  most  of  his  household 
utensils  among  his  neighbors  and  relatives,  and  with  two 
horses,  one  for  himself,  and  the  other  for  his  wife,  with  their 
clothes,  and  bedclothes  packed  on  the  saddles,  they  started 
for  their  field  of  labor.  Carlisle  circuit,  at  that  period,  em- 
braced about  thirty  appointments,  to  be  filled  once  in  four 
weeks.  Before  he  had  completed  his  third  round  on  the  cir- 
cuit, he  lost  both  his  horses,  and  was  also  attacked  with  small- 
pox and  measles.  While  under  the  influence  of  the  latter 
disease,  the  family,  in  whose  house  he  happened  to  be  taken 


BISHOP    ROBERTS.  319 

sicl-,  were  very  kind  to  him,  and  kept  him  warm,  and  gave 
him  nothing  but  warm  drinks.  One  night,  however,  while 
the  family  were  all  asleep,  he  went  to  the  pump,  and  took  a 
copious  draught  of  cold  water,  being  very  thirsty.  He  return- 
ed to  bed,  fell  asleep,  awoke  in  a  perspiration,  and  found 
himself  materially  better,  and  soon  recovered  so  as  to  resume 
his  labors  on  the  circuit. 

Mr.  Roberts  soon  gave  evidence  of  more  than  ordinary  abil- 
ities as  a  preacher,  so  that  his  congregations,  especially  in 
York,  Pa.,  were  composed  of  the  elite  of  the  village,  but  such 
was  his  diffidence  that  this  circumstance  only  seemed  to  em- 
barrass him.  On  one  occasion,  seeing  the  large  number  of 
fashionable  people  who  were  flocking  to  the  Church,  he  hesi- 
tated about  entering,  and  actually  withdrew  to  a  private 
place,  where  he  remained  until  such  time  as  he  supposed  the 
congregation  would  have  grown  impatient,  and  many  of  ihem 
have  left  the  house.  In  thi?,  however,  he  was  disappointed, 
as  they  all  remained  till  he  made  his  appearance.  He  made 
no  apology,  but  trusting  in  God,  went  on  with  his  discourse, 
and  his  effort,  on  that  occasion,  was  spoken  of  with  so  much 
admiration,  that  it  only  served  to  increase  the  size  of  his  con- 
gregation in  future. 

By  the  kindness  of  friends,  a  horse  was  purchased  for  him, 
and  at  the  Conference  of  1803,  he  was  appointed  to  Mont- 
gomery circuit,  Maryland,  where  he  labored  with  great  suc- 
cess, as  the  junior  preacher,  during  a  part  of  the  year,  and  as 
the  preacher  in  charge  during  the  latter  portion  of  the  same. 
At  the  Conference  of  1804,  Mr.  Roberts  was  admitted  into 
full  connection,  and  ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  Asbury.  He 
was  appointed  to  Frederick  circuit,  as  the  field  for  his  labors 
during  the  ensuing  Conference  year,  and  being  in  the  vicinity 
of  Baltimore  during  the  session  of  the  General  Conference,  he 
attended  the  latter  body  as  a  spectator,  but  after  being  per- 
mitted to  be  present  for  two  days,  the  Conference  ordered 


320  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

close  doors,  by  which  means  he  and  other  spectators  were 
shut  out,  a  circumstance  which  disappointed  him  not  a  Uttle ; 
he  consequently  returned  to  the  circuit,  of  which  he  had  the 
charge,  and  pursued  his  accustomed  rounds,  his  wife,  the 
meanwhile,  living  in  an  upper  room,  and  supporting  herself 
by  her  own  industry.  The  circuit  embraced  the  place  of  his 
birth,  and  on  his  first  going  to  the  spot  he  visited  an  aged 
aunt,  who,  like  his  father,  before  his  conversion,  was  a  high- 
toned  Episcopalian.  She  at  first  warmly  received  her  nephew, 
but  on  learning  that  he  was  a  Methodist  preacher,  she  changed 
her  demeanor  towards  him,  and  gave  him  to  understand  that 
she  did  not  like  "  Uirncoats.''  He  replied,  good-naturedly, 
that  he  never  had  a  coat,  until  he  got  among  the  Methodists. 
She  soon  allowed  natural  afiection  to  overcome  her  denomina- 
tional bigotry,  and  extended  to  him  a  cordial  welcome. 

Harper's  Ferry  was  included  in  the  list  of  his  appointments, 
but  for  the  first  two  or  three  times  of  visiting  the  place,  he 
found  no  congregation  to  preach  to,  and  was  about  giving  up 
the  place  in  despair.  At  length,  the  lady,  at  whose  house  he 
stopped,  resorted  to  a  novel  expedient  to  collect  a  congrega- 
tion for  the  young  preacher  :  She  appointed  a  quilting  party 
at  her  house,  and  invited  a  large  number  of  the  ladies  to  at- 
tend. Mr.  Roberts,  without  knowing  anything  of  the  expe- 
dient, happened  there  on  his  regular  round,  and  found  the 
house  full  of  ladies,  busily  engaged  in  making  two  bed-quilts. 
Soon  after  he  made  his  appearance,  the  lady  of  the  house  pro- 
posed preaching,  which  was  assented  to  by  him  and  the  com- 
pany. He  accordingly  preached  to  them,  and  they  were  so 
well  pleased  with  the  discourse,  that  ever  after,  there  was  no 
want  of  a  congregation  in  that  place.  In  the  fall  of  the  year 
1804,  Mr.  Roberts  made  a  visit  to  his  friends  in  Shenango, 
and  leaving  his  wife  among  them  to  spend  the  winter,  he  re- 
turned to  his  circuit,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  the 
year  with  profit  to  himself  and  others. 


BISUOP    ROBERTS.  321 

At  the  Conference  of  1805,  he  was  appointed  to  Shenango 
circuit,  an  aj)pointment  which,  though  it  did  not  embrace  the 
neighborhood  where  his  friends  lived,  brought  him  much 
nearer  to  them.  While  on  this  circuit,  he  called  one  day  on 
a  Presbyterian  family,  to  get  his  horse  fed  ;  the  ladies  of  the 
house  supposing  him  to  be  a  minister,  were  very  desirous  to 
know  whether  he  was  a  Presbyterian  or  a  Seceder,  but  with- 
out giving  them  any  direct  answer,  they  took  it  for  granted, 
that  he  was  a  Presbyterian.  The  lady  and  her  daughter  took 
occasion  to  say  some  bitter  things  against  the  Methodists,  but 
he  let  them  pass  without  any  opposing  remarks.  Being  invi- 
ted to  stay  to  dinner,  he  did  so,  and  after  dinner,  when  about 
to  leave,  the  lady  requested  him  to  stay  over  the  Sabbath, 
and  attend  Church,  as  the  minister  would  be  very  glad  to  see 
him.  He  informed  her  that  he  could  not  stay,  as  he  had  an 
appointment  himself  She  then  wished  to  know  if  he  was 
seeking  a  call  from  a  congregation.  He  replied  that  he  al- 
ready had  congregations  ;  to  which  she  answered,  that  she  had 
never  heard  of  any  one  by  the  name  of  Roberts  having  a  con- 
gregation in  that  part  of  the  country.  She  wished  to  know 
where  his  congregation  was,  and  he,  in  reply,  gave  her  a  list 
of  his  appointments  on  his  extensive  charge,  at  which  the 
good  lady  expressed  great  surprise.  He  then  remarked,  that 
he  was  one  of  those  people  of  whom  she  had  spoken  so  re- 
proachfully, a  short  time  before.  "  Not  a  Methodist  I"  she 
exclaimed,  with  astonishment.  "  Yes."  he  replied.  "  Well, 
no  person  could  have  taken  you  for  one,"  said  the  good  lady. 
She,  however,  invited  him  to  call  again,  and  ever  after,  treated 
him  with  the  greatest  respect  and  attention. 

Through  the  kindness  of  his  presiding  elder,  Mr.  Roberts 
at  the  second  quarterly  meeting,  received  an  appointment 
which  embraced  his  former  place  of  residence,  and  where  his 
land  was  situated.  Having  a  little  spare  time,  he  superin- 
tended the  erection  of  a  mill,  on  a  stream  near  his  residence, 

21 


322  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

the  object  of  which  was  to  supply  the  wants  of  his  family 
from  its  proceeds,  as  his  receipts  from  the  circuits  did  not  pay 
his  expenses.  This,  however,  proved  a  detriment  to  his  use- 
fulness, so  much  so,  that  he  ever  after  regretted  having  had 
anything  to  do  with  the  mill,  and  strongly  advised  all  preach- 
ers never  to  leave  the  word  of  God,  to  serve  tables,  as  they 
would  be  losers  in  the  end. 

At  the  next  Conference  of  180G,  Mr.  Roberts  was  ordained 
elder,  by  Bishop  Asbury,  and  was  returned  to  Erie  circuit, 
the  field  of  his  former  labors  near  home.  It,  however,  em- 
braced all  that  territory  now  included  in  the  Erie  Conference, 
except  that  part  which  lies  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and 
required  six  weeks  to  go  round  it.  While  going  to  an  ap- 
pointment one  evening,  he  v/as  by  an  accident  on  the  road, 
unavoidably  belated  and  overtaken  by  the  darkness  of  night, 
and  as  there  was  no  road,  or  even  path  to  guide  him,  he  was 
forced  to  seek  shelter  in  a  log-cabin,  where  he  found  the  chil- 
dren and  furniture  all  besmeared  with  bear's  grease,  so  that 
he  hesitated  about  stopping.  He,  however,  felt  obliged  to 
take  shelter  somewhere,  and  as  he  was  cordially  Avelcomed  to 
the  best  the  house  afforded,  he  concluded,  notwithstanding 
the  filthiness  of  the  place,  to  tarry  for  the  night.  He  was  in- 
formed by  his  hostess,  that  she  had  no  bread  in  the  house,  nor 
anything  to  make  any  of;  she,  however,  cooked  a  large  sup- 
ply of  fat  bear's  meat  and  potatoes,  which  she  hospitably 
placed  before  him,  on  a  slab  table.  Though  extremely  hungry, 
Mr.  Roberts  did  not  relish  his  supper,  and  ale  but  little.  As 
there  was  no  regular  bed  in  the  house,  they  furnished  him 
with  a  small  quantity  of  straw,  which  was  spread  on  the  floor 
before  the  fire.  On  this  he  lay,  his  feet  toward  the  fire,  hav- 
ing his  saddle-bags  for  a  pillow,  and  his  great-coat  for  his 
covering.  As  the  night  was  cold,  he  slept  but  httle,  and 
after  having  taken  his  breakfast  of  bear's  meat  in  the  morn- 


BISHOP    ROBERTS.  323 

ing,  and  having  baptized  several  of  the  children,  he  proceeded 
joyfully  on  his  way. 

While  on  Erie  circuit,  Mr.  Roberts  was  invited  to  attend  a 
meeting  to  be  held  in  a  Methodist  house,  where  a  Seceder 
minister  was  to  deliver  a  sermon,  for  the  purpose  of  convin- 
cing the  Methodists  of  their  error  in  mainlainins  that  Jesus 
Christ  died  for  the  whole  human  family.  The  text  was, 
"  Contend  earnestly  for  the  faith  once  dehvered  to  the  saints," 
and  the  propositions  advanced,  were  :  1.  That  Christ  did  not 
die  for  all  the  sins  of  all  men ;  for  then  all  men  must  be 
saved.  2.  That  he  did  not  die  for  some  of  the  sins  of  all 
men  ;  for  none  could  be  saved.  3.  That  he  died  for  all  the 
sins  of  some  men  ;  for  some  only  would  be  saved.  When  he 
had  concluded  his  discourse  of  four  hours'  length,  Mr.  Roberts 
begged  the  privilege  of  replying,  which  was  granted.  He 
took  hold  of  the  arguments  advanced  with  such  masterly 
powers  for  a  few  minutes,  that  the  Seceder,  seeiiig  himself 
likely  to  be  worsted  in  the  contest,  withdrew  from  the  house, 
leaving  Mr.  Roberts  the  master  of  the  field.  The  efiect  pro- 
duced was  such,  that  many  of  the  seceders  were  ever  after 
among  his  most  attentive  hearers,  notwithstanding  the  avowed 
wishes  of  their  minister  to  the  contrary. 

At  the  Conference  of  1807,  Mr.  Roberts  was  appointed  to 
Pittsburg  (Pa.)  circuit,  and  at  the  succeeding  Conference  of 
1808,  was  stationed  at  the  West  Wheeling  circuit.  As  the 
General  Conference  sat  this  year,  and  as  all  travelling  elders 
were  at  that  period  ex-officio  members  of  that  body,  he  felt  it 
to  be  his  duty  to  attend,  although  after  having  paid  his  mov- 
ing expenses  to  his  new  circuit,  he  had  but  a  single  half- 
dollar  left,  wherewith  to  bear  his  expenses  on  the  journey  of 
three  hundred  miles.  He,  however,  borrowed  a  half-dollar 
of  his  colleague,  but  such  was  his  economy,  and  the  kindness 
of  friends  on  the  road,  that  when  he  arrived  in  Baltimore,  he 
had  five  cents  of  the  dollar  left.     While  at  the  Conference, 


324  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

Mr.  Roberts  was  appointed  to  preach  in  the  Light-street 
Church,  and  supposing  that  the  members  of  that  Church 
were  somewhat  tinctured  with  pride,  he  deUvered  a  severe 
sermon  on  the  subject.  His  own  clothing  was  coarse,  and  had 
been  much  worn.  A  few  days  after  having  preached  the  ser- 
mon, he  was  waited  on  at  his  room  by  a  tailor,  who  took  his 
measurement  for  some  new  articles  of  apparel,  which  were 
soon  finished,  and  presented  to  him  by  some  friend  unknown. 
So  much  was  his  sermon  liked  by  the  members  of  the  Light- 
street  Church,  that  they  petitioned  Bishop  Asbury  to  station 
Mr.  Roberts  over  them  as  their  pastor ;  accordingly  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  summer,  he  was  officially  requested  by  the 
bishop  to  leave  West  Wheeling,  and  proceed  immediately  to 
Baltimore,  but  such  was  his  diffidence,  that  he  hesitated  to 
comply,  nor  was  it  until  he  had  received  a  second  peremptory 
letter,  and  had  been  strongly  advised  by  his  faithful  wife  to 
a  compliance  with  the  bishop's  request,  that  he  consented  to 
go.  He  accordingly,  with  a  few  dollars  in  his  pocket,  and 
with  a  couple  of  horses  for  himself  and  wife  to  ride  on  the 
journey,  started  for  his  new  appointment,  having  recourse 
during  the  day  to  his  saddle-bags,  for  supplies  of  bread  and 
cheese,  and  stopping  with  their  acquaintances  over-night.  He 
spent  the  remainder  of  the  Conference  year  very  pleasantly, 
and  at  the  next  Conference  of  1809,  Avas  re-appointed  to  the 
Baltimore  station.  In  1810,  he  was  stationed  at  Fells  Point, 
and  in  1811,  in  Alexandria,  D.  C,  where  he  was  so  greatly 
esteemed  by  people  of  different  denominations,  that  he  fre- 
quently exchanged  pulpits  with  the  resident  clergymen  of  the 
place,  especially  the  Protestant  Episcopal  minister.  In  1812, 
he  was  stationed  in  Georgetown,  D.  C,  and  while  here,  had 
an  introduction,  in  a  formal  manner,  to  Mr.  Madison,  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  His  reserve,  and  dignified  mien, 
60  far  attracted  the  attention  of  the  President,  that  the  latter 
expressed  a  desire  to  form  an  acquaintance  with  him  in  a 


BISHOP    ROBERTS.  325 

more  private  and  informal  manner.  He  accordingly,  some 
time  after,  made  the  President  and  his  lady  a  private  visit, 
and  after  a  delightful  and  profitable  interview,  it  was  termi- 
nated by  a  solemn  season  of  prayer. 

During  the  years  1813  and  '14,  Mr.  Roberts  was  stationed 
in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  a  place  which  has  always  secured 
the  services  of  the  most  able  ministers  of  the  Church.  While 
a  resident  of  Philadelphia,  he  made  a  visit  to  Indiana,  to 
which  State  his  brother  Lewis  had  removed.  On  his  journey, 
he  stopped  at  Orleans,  where  was  a  company  of  United 
States  soldiers  stationed.  He  found  the  latter  engaged  in 
target-shooting,  and  as  Mr.  Roberts  appeared  to  take  some 
interest  in  the  exercise,  they  invited  him  to  try  his  skill  at  the 
rifle,  which  he  did,  and  fairly  surpassed  the  whole  company 
in  the  correctness  of  his  aim,  which  proved,  as  might  be  ex- 
pected, a  matter  of  astonishment  to  the  soldiers,  who  acknowl- 
edged themselves  beaten  in  the  use  of  their  own  favorite 
weapon,  by  a  Philadelphia  clergyman.  We  mention  this  cir- 
cumstance, to  show  that  Mr.  Roberts,  although  elevated  to  a 
dignified  position  in  society,  and  whose  acquaintance  was 
sought  for  by  the  great  and  honorable  of  the  land,  did  not 
feel  himself  so  far  above  his  more  humble  fellows,  as  to  re- 
fuse to  take  an  interest  in  their  innocent  diversions  and  use- 
ful pastimes.  In  1815,  Mr.  Roberts  was  appointed  presiding 
elder  of  Schuylkill  district,  which  then  embraced  within  its 
bounds  Philadelphia  and  vicinity.  At  the  Philadelphia  Con- 
ference of  1816,  in  consequence  of  the  recent  death  of  Bishop 
Asbury,  and  the  indisposition  of  Bishop  M'Kendree,  it  became 
necessary  to  elect  a  president  of  the  body,  from  among  the 
presiding  elders,  and  although  Mr.  Roberts  was  the  youngest 
presiding  elder  in  the  Conference,  yet  he  was  chosen  presi- 
dent by  a  large  majority  of  votes,  an  evidence  of  the  confi- 
dence placed  in  him  by  his  brethren  who  knew  him  best. 

As  the  Philadelphia  Conference  sat  in  the  latter  part  of 


326  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

April,  and  the  General  Conference  was  to  sit  on  the  1st  of 
May  following,  there  happened  to  be  present  at  the  session 
of  the  former,  a  large  number  of  delegates  from  the  north, 
and  east,  on  their  way  to  Baltimore.  Those  delegates  could 
not  fail  to  discover  the  ease  and  dignity,  with  which  Mr. 
Roberts  discharged  the  duties  of  President ;  and  as  it  would 
be  necessary  to  elect  one  or  two  additional  bishops,  at  the 
General  Conference,  their  minds  appear  to  have  unanimously 
centred  on  him  as  one  of  the  candidates ;  accordingly,  on  the 
14th  of  May,  when  the  votes  for  bishops  were  counted,  it  was 
found  that  Enoch  George,  and  Robert  R.  Roberts,  had  each 
a  majority  of  all  the  votes,  and  they  were,  consequently,  de- 
clared to  be  duly  elected  Bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  After  his  election,  and  previously  to  his  consecra- 
tion, he  had  serious  misgivings  about  the  propriety  of  accept- 
ing the  important  office,  to  which  he  had  been  elected,  hon- 
estly supposing  that  his  brethren  had  overrated  his  abilities. 
He  even  proposed  to  some  of  his  confidential  friends,  a  desire 
to  resign  the  office  by  declining  consecration  ;  these  friends, 
however,  who  were  no  doubt  better  judges  of  his  qualifications 
for  the  office  of  a  bishop,  than  he  was  himself,  persuaded  him 
to  be  obedient  to  the  call  of  God  and  his  Church,  to  which 
he  finally  consented,  and -on  the  17th  of  May,  1816,  he  was 
duly  consecrated  by  the  only  surviving  bishop, — M'Kendree 
— the  latter  being  assisted  by  some  of  the  senior  elders 
present. 

On  Bishop  Roberts'  return  to  Philadelphia,  from  General 
Conference,  his  wife  inquired  what  he  designed  to  do  with 
her,  in  regard  to  a  place  of  residence,  &c.  He  replied,  that 
she  might  remain  in  Philadelphia,  or  anywhere  east  of  the 
Alleghany  Mountains,  or  she  might  reside  on  their  land  in 
Shenanofo,  or  travel  with  him  as  she  chose.  The  former  course 
she  thought  would  be  too  expensive,  the  latter,  too  inconve- 
nient ;  she  accordingly  elected,  to  reside  in  the  small  cabin 


BISHOP    ROBERTS. 


327 


■which  he  had  erected  with  his  own  hands,  twenty  years  pre- 
viously. She  even  sighed  for  that  independence  incident  to 
a  western  hfe.  They  accordingly  started  for  their  old  home, 
the  friends  in  Baltimore  having  in  the  meantime,  in  the  kind- 
est manner,  procured  for  him  the  carriage  and  travelling 
trunk  of  the  deceased  Bishop  Ashury.  In  crossing  the  moun- 
tains, they  found  a  piece  of  new-made  road,  where  the  mud 
•was  very  deep.  Mrs.  Roberts,  and  their  little  nephew — 
George  Roberts,  who  was  with  them — had  to  alight  and  walk 
to  the  summit  of  a  hill.  Meanwhile,  the  horses  and  carriage 
got  fast  in  the  mud,  and  the  bishop  literally  was  obliged  to 
"  put  side  and  shoulder  to  the  wheel,"  in  order  to  extricate  him- 
self. The  clerical  fashion  in  those  times,  was  long-boots,  long- 
stockings,  and  breeches.  His  attempts  to  relieve  the  carriage 
from  the  mud,  had  besmeared  him  from  head  to  foot,  the  mud 
running  over  the  tops  of  his  boots.  As  he  gained  the  ascent 
his  wife  who  had  turned  round  awaiting  his  arrival,  when 
she  saw  his  be-smattered  appearance,  could  not  repress  a  laugh, 
while  she  exclaimed,  "  You  are  a  pretty-looking  bishop  now." 
At  length  they  arrived  at  their  journey's  end,  and  leaving  his 
beloved  wife  among  his  friends,  he  proceeded  to  the  discharge 
of  his  episcopal  duties  in  attending  the  Conferences,  &c. 

After  completing  his  visitation  of  the  Annual  Conferences, 
he  repaired  to  Shenango,  where  he  spent  the  greater  part  of 
the  winter,  not  forgetting,  occasionally,  to  spend  a  day  in  hunt- 
ing. In  the  fall  of  1817,  he  again  visited  Indiana,  in  com- 
pany with  his  wife.  It  was  while  on  a  journey  to  visit  one 
of  the  Southern  Conferences,  that  the  occurrence  took  place 
which  gave  rise  to  the  widely  circulated  story,  of  "  Bishop 
George,  and  the  young  Preacher," — a  story  which  has  been 
published  in  most  of  the  periodicals  in  the  United  States.  The 
accounts  concerning  the  incident,  arc  very  contradictory,  and 
grossly  exaggerated.  The  true  hero  of  the  tale  was  Bishop 
Roberts,  and  not  Bishop  George,  as  currently  reported ;  and 


328  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

although  the  former  frequently  spoke  of  the  occurrence,  he 
never  would  reveal  the  nanne  of  the  young  man  who  figured 
so  largely  in  the  aflair.  As  the  story  is  of  some  length,  and 
is  ])robably  remembered  by  most  of  our  readers,  and  as  no 
authentic  written  version  is  now  in  existence,  we  will  not 
transcribe  it  to  our  pages.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  such  an  oc- 
currence did  take  place,  and  that  the  thov.ghtless  young 
preacher,  who  unknowingly  slighted  his  bishop,  and  permitted 
him  to  go  to  bed  supperless,  was  afterwards  heartily  ashamed 
of  his  conduct,  and  became  a  useful  and  eminent  man  among 
his  brethren. 

Sometimes,  when  Bishop  Roberts  was  on  his  way  to  visit 
the  Conferences,  he  was  obliged  to  take  his  lodgings  on  the 
cold  ground.  One  night  he  thus  slept  on  the  ground,  holding 
while  asleep,  his  horse  by  the  bridle,  to  prevent  his  straying  ; 
and  at  another  time  while  pursuing  a  new  route  through  the 
Genesee  Flats,  he  subsisted  for  three  days  on  strawberries. 
The  reasons  for  such  exposure  and  want,  was  not  because  he 
had  no  friends,  or  because  the  country  could  not  have  afford- 
ed him  food  and  shelter,  but  because  of  his  extreme  diffidence 
and  natural  independence  of  spirit,  which  induced  him  rather 
to  suffer,  than  to  ask  a  favor  of  any  person.  In  this  regard, 
we  think  the  good  bishop  was  blameworthy,  for  he  should 
have  remembered,  that  there  is  a  blessing  in  giving,  as  well 
as  in  receiving,  and  that  in  depriving  his  friends  of  the  oppor- 
tunity of  giving,  he  was  in  fact  injuring  them,  more  than  he 
would  have  done  by  an  opposite  course. 

In  1819,  Bishop  Roberts  removed  his  residence  from  She- 
nango,  to  Lawrence  County,  Indiana;  his  object  in  doing  so, 
was  to  be  near  his  brother  Lewis,  to  whom  he  was  ardently 
attached  ;  and  as  he  liked  the  country  better  than  he  did 
that  of  his  former  location,  and  was  obliged  to  support  him- 
self in  part  by  agriculture,  his  salary  being  only  the  meagre 
BUin  of  two  hundred  dollars  per  annum, — he  thought  he  could 


BISHOP    ROBERTS.  329 

spend  a  portion  of  his  time  in  laboring  with  his  hands,  and 
thus  administer  to  his  own  necessities.  In  his  removal,  he 
AV.1S  accompanied  by  three  of  his  nephews,  and  a  niece.  In 
his  journey,  which  took  several  weeks,  he  scarely  ever  put  up 
at  a  private  house,  but  at  a  tavern,  and  it  was  scarcely  ever 
known,  who,  or  what  he  was,  till  after  his  departure.  When 
Sunday  arrived,  he  would  attend  some  place  of  worship  near, 
taking  a  retired  seat  in  some  part  of  the  house,  without  in- 
forming any  person  who  he  was.  At  length  they  arrived  at 
the  new  episcopal  residence,  in  Indiana,  consisting  at  first  of 
a  cabin  or  hut,  made  of  unhewn  logs,  clapboard  roof,  and  be- 
ing without  chimney,  door,  window,  floor,  or  loft.  Their  pro- 
visions, which  they  carried  with  them,  were  by  this  time  ex- 
hausted, and  they  had  to  make  their  supper  on  roasted  pota- 
toes. These  were  placed  in  a  row  on  one  of  the  sleepe?'S  of 
the  cabin,  and  the  good  bishop  devoutly  asked  a  blessing  on 
the  meal,  and  after  having  partaken  of  the  same,  returned 
thanks  to  the  Giver  of  all  good.  After  supper,  his  young 
niece  retired  to  one  corner  of  the  cabin,  in  rather  a  disconso- 
late mood,  and  stated  to  her  cousins,  that  she  did  not  see  why 
uncle  should  ask  a  blessing,  and  return  thanks  for  a  supper 
of  nothing  else  in  the  Avorld,  but  roasted  potatoes.  For  bed- 
steads, they  placed  some  unhewed  sticks  across  the  sleepers 
and  on  them  made  their  beds.  After  retiring,  the  wolves  be- 
gan to  howl,  and  as  there  was  no  door  to  prevent  their  en- 
trance, the  young  niece  became  exceedingly  terrified  ;  but  the 
tender-hearted  uncle  assured  her,  that  the  large  fire  would 
sufficiently  intimidate  the  ravenous  animals,  to  prevent  a  very 
near  approach,  and  being  thus  assured  she  finally  fell  asleep, 
while  the  v.'olves  thought  it  best  to  keep  at  a  respectful  distance. 
After  a  good  night's  rest,  the  bishop  and  his  nephews  went 
to  work  to  make  their  rude  dwelling  as  comfortable  as  possi- 
ble. For  this  purpose,  the  logs  were  smoothed  with  an  adze, 
a  floor  was  laid,  chimney  raised,  and  hearth  laid,  so  that  it 


330  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

became  quite  a  respectable  dwelling  for  one  of  its  kind.  After 
having  completed  the  house,  the  bishop,  with  his  nephews, 
cleared  three  acres  of  land,  eating  their  breakfast  before  day, 
and  in  the  evening  their  time  was  spent  in  making  rude  arti- 
cles of  furniture  for  the  dwelling.  During  the  winter,  ten 
acres  of  land  were  cleared  and  fenced,  so  that  it  was  ready  for 
sowing  and  planting  in  the  spring.  As  they  needed  a  cow, 
the  bishop  had  to  borrow  twenty  dollars,  wherewith  to  pur- 
chase one  ;  and  to  procure  wheat  and  corn,  he  had  to  sell  one 
of  his  four  horses.  As  the  nearest  mill  was  eighteen,  miles 
distant,  and  it  required  a  great  loss  of  time  to  get  grinding 
done,  they  pounded  their  corn  in  a  trough  made  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  used  it  in  the  form  of  hominy. 

In  the  spring,  Bishop  Roberts  left  home  to  attend  the 
Annual  Conferences.  The  following  interesting  anecdote  is 
related  of  him  in  one  of  his  journeys  : 

"Early  in  the  year  1819,  Bishop  Roberts,  on  his  way  from 
Pennsylvania  to  the  Conference  in  the  South,  arrived  on  Sab- 
bath morning,  in  Fincastle,  the  county  seat  of  Botetourt 
County,  Va.  Having  no  acquaintance  in  the  place,  he  called 
at  a  public  house,  and  took  breakfast.  On  making  inquiry  in 
relation  to  the  arrangements  for  the  Sabbath,  he  was  told  that 
there  was  but  one  meeting-house  in  the  town,  and  that  the 
Rev.  Wm.  Cravens,  a  Methodist  minister,  had  to  preach 
.there  at  10  o'clock,  and  also  the  Rev.  Mr.  Logan,  a  Presbyte- 
rian minister,  at  11  of  the  same  day.  At  the  sound  of  the 
bell,  the  bishop  went  to  the  church,  and  took  his  seat  among 
the  hearers.  According  to  arrangement,  Mr.  Cravens  preach- 
ed, and  Mr.  Logan  followed.  The  Rev.  Edward  Mitchell,  a 
Methodist  minister,  who  lived  a  few  miles  south-west  of  the 
place,  was  called  upon  to  close.  When  the  congregation  was 
dismissed,  Mr.  Roberts  inquired  of  Mr.  Mitchell,  how  far  he 
lived  from  the  town,  and  in  what  direction.  Being  politely 
answered,  he  then  said  to  Mr.  Mitchell,  if  he  would  wait  until 


BISHOP    ROBERTS.  331 

he  could  get  his  horse  from  the  house  at  which  he  had  put  up,  he 
■would  go  along  with  him      To  this,  Mr.  Mitchell  readily  con- 
sented.    As  they  left  the  town,  Mr.  Mitchell,  who  was  fond 
of  conversation,  and  always  desirous  of  giving  it  a  religious 
turn,  commenced  talking  about  the  preaching  they  had  heard. 
Mr.  Cravens  having  insisted  on  the  doctrine  of  restitution,  he 
wished  to  know  of  the  stranger,  what  was  his  opinion  of  it. 
Mr.  Roberts  stated  that  he  did  not  object  to  the  doctrine  in 
the  least.     Mr.  Mitchell  still  wishing  to  turn  the  subject  to 
the  hest  advantage  with  the  stranger,  said,  very  pointedly,  it 
was  one  thing  to  consent  to  the  truth,  and  another  to  practise 
upon  it.     Mr.  Roberts  discovering  that  he  was  not  suspected, 
was  willing  that  Mr.  Mitchell  should  give  what  direction  to 
the  conversation  he  might  think  proper,  and  modestly  replied, 
with  his  usual  peculiarity  to  such  questions  as  were  proposed 
to  him.     When  they  arrived  at  Mr.  Mitchell's  residence,  Mr. 
M.  said  to  him,  '  There  is  the  stable,  and  the  hay,  and  corn, 
and  my  rule  is,  that  all  who  come  to  see  me,  must  wait  on 
themselves.'     To  this,  the  stranger  raised  no  objections,  and 
put  up  his  horse.     When  he  had  done,  the  dinner  was  ready. 
Mr.  Mitchell,  as  was  his  custom,  asked  a  blessing,  and  when 
seated,  resumed  the  conversation,  and  took  the  liberty  of  in- 
quiring of  the  stranger  where  he  was  from,  and  to  what  place 
he  was  going.      On  these  questions  being  answered,  he  was 
next  asked  what  was  his  name.     To  which  the  bishop  rephed, 
'  My  name  is  Roberts.'     '  Any  relation  to  Robert  R.  Roberts, 
one  of  our   bishops?'    asked  Mr.   Mitchell.     'My  name   is 
Robert  R.  Roberts,'  said  the  stranger.     At  this,  Mr.  Mitchell 
involuntarily  dropped  his  knife  and  fork,  and  gazed  a  moment 
speechless  at  his  visitor,  and  all  at  once  the  thought  struck 
him,  that  his  appearance,  conversation,  and  general  deport- 
ment, were  those  of  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  it  was  a 
matter  of  astonishment  to  him,  that  he  had  not  thought  of  his 
being  a  clergyman,  before. 


332  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

"  Mr.  Mitchell,  after  having  composed  himself  a  little,  asked 
the  bishop  why  he  had  not  made  himself  known  to  them 
when  he  first  entered  the  town,  and  preached  for  them.  To 
which  the  bishop  replied,  that  it  was  his  intention  so  to  have 
done  :  he  had  travelled  rapidly,  the  day  before,  in  order  to 
enjoy  the  holy  day  of  rest  among  them,  but  on  learning  the 
arrangements  that  had  been  made,  and  also  that  Mr.  Cravens, 
like  himself,  was  a  stranger,  and  had  only  stopped  to  spend 
the  Sabbath  day  there,  he  thought  it  best  to  attend  the  house 
of  God  as  an  humble  hearer  of  the  word  of  life,  and  thus  have 
the  privilege  of  worshipping  with  the  people  of  that  strange 
land,  in  the  capacity  of  a  private  Christian." 

From  the  above,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  bishop  was  always 
averse  to  the  act  of  proclaiming  who  he  was,  on  his  arrival  at 
any  place.  The  following  extract,  being  the  substance  of  a 
narration  given  by  Bishop  Roberts  to  Bishop  Morris,  will 
serve  further  to  illustrate  his  course  in  this  respect. 

"  Bishop  Roberts,  once  travelling  on  horseback,  along  a  road 
with  which  he  was  unacquainted,  inquired  for  a  quiet  house 
of  entertainment,  where  he  might  spend  the  night,  and  on 
recommendation,  went  to  one  without  knowing  the  character 
of  the  man  that  kept  it,  but  who  he  subsequently  learned  was 
a  local  preacher  of  his  own  denomination.  He  obtained  leave 
to  stay  all  night,  and  supper  was  provided  for  him.  Shortly 
after  which,  the  landlord  lit  a  candle,  placed  it  in  the  lantern, 
and  when  about  going  out  of  the  house,  said  to  the  bishop, 
'  If  you  wish  to  retire  before  we  return,  you  can  take  a  bed  in 
the  adjoining  room  ;   we  are  going  to  a  meeting.' 

"  BhUop. — '  What  sort  of  a  meeting  is  it  ?' 

"  Landlord. — '  It  is  what  we  Methodists  call  a  class-meet- 
ing.' 

"  B. — '  I  should  like  to  go  along,  if  it  would  not  be  intru- 
ding.' 

"  L. — '  No  intrusion  at  all.     We  allow  serious  persons  to 


BISHOP    ROBERTS.  883 

attend  class-meetings  a  few  times  without  becoming  members, 
if  they  wish.' 

"  They  proceeded  together  to  the  meeting,  which  was  well 
attended.  The  class-leader  was  a  young  man  of  much  zeal, 
and  little  experience.  After  speaking  to  all  the  members,  he 
came  to  the  bishop,  when  the  following  conversation  ensued  : 

"  Leader.  '  Well,  stranger,  have  you  any  desire  to  serve 
the  Lord,  and  get  to  heaven  ?' 

"  .5.  'I  have  such  a  desire.' 

"  L.  '  How  lon^  have  you  had  this  desire  ?' 

"  B.  '1  cannot  say  precisely  how  long  now,  but  for  many 
years.' 

"  £,.  '  Well,  do  you  think,  old  gentleman,  that  you  know 
anything  about  the  enjoyment  of  experimental  religion  V 

"  B.  'Yes,  brother,  I  trust  I  do  know,  and  have  known  a 
long  time  what  experimental  religion  is,  though  I  acknowl- 
edge I  have  not  been  as  faithful  as  I  should  have  been,  and 
consequently  have  not  made  that  progress  in  religion  which 
it  was  my  privilege  to  have  made.  Still,  I  have  a  good  hope 
in  the  mercy  of  God,  through  Christ,  that  I  shall  be  saved  ia 
heaven  at  last.' 

"  The  leader  closed  the  exercise  himself,  in  the  usual  way, 
and  the  bishop  returned  with  his  host  in  silence.  After  they 
had  been  seated  a  short  time,  a  small  table  was  placed  in  the 
room,  with  a  Bible  and  hymn-book.  The  landlord,  after  deep 
study,  looked  at  the  Bible,  then  at  the  bishop,  and  again 
seemed  to  be  in  a  deep  study.  After  a  few  more  side  glances, 
he  rose  and  started  towards  the  table,  then  stopped,  cleared 
his  throat,  and  went  to  the  door  and  spit ;  then  turned  again 
toward  the  table,  but  finally  stopped  and  said  to  the  bishop, 
'  Old  gentleman,  you  appear  to  be  a  man  that  knows  some- 
thing of  religion  ;  it  is  our  practice  here  to  have  family  wor- 
ship ;  perhaps  you  would  be  willing  to  read  and  pray  with  us  ?* 

"  j5.  'I  have  no  objection,  brother,  if  you  wish  it.' 


334  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

"  He  proceeded  to  read,  sing,  and  pray  in  his  own  impressive 
manner.  The  landlord  then  took  a  candle,  and  showed  him 
his  room  ;  and  started  out,  got  to  the  door,  and  stopped, 
turned  round,  hesitated,  and  finally  remarked,  '  Old  gentle- 
man, if  it  would  be  no  ofience,  I  would  like  to  know  your 
name.' 

"  7>.  'No  offence  at  all,  brother,  ray  name  is  Robert  R. 
Roberts.' 

"  When  the  bishop  related  this  anecdote  to  the  writer,  he 
added,  '  And  they  paid  me  well  for  telling  my  name ;  for 
they  detained  me  two  days,  and  made  me  preach  several 
times.'  I  wished  him  to  tell  me  how  the  young  class-leader 
looked  about  the  close  of  his  first  sermon,  but  he  declined 
making  any  comments." 

In  1825,  several  ministers  on  their  way  to  Conference, 
called  at  Bishop  Roberts'  residence.  One  of  them — Mr.  Ran- 
dall— being  an  Englishman,  and  recently  from  that  country, 
had  a  great  desire  to  see  a  bishop  of  the  Methodist  Church, 
as  also  his  residence  ;  no  doubt  expecting  to  behold  some  of 
the  splendor  attached  to  the  prelacy  of  England,  but  he  found 
only  a  dwelling  of  the  most  humble  pretensions.  The  bishop 
was  not  in  the  house  when  they  arrived,  but  the  visitors  were 
told  that  he  was  out  in  the  grass  lot.  The  Englishman,  im- 
patient to  see  him,  could  not  wait  until  he  came  in,  but  went 
out  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  him,  if  possible.  One  of  the  preach- 
ers pointed  to  the  bishop  in  the  lot,  but  the  Englishman  re- 
marked that  he  saw  no  bishop  there.  "  Look  in  the  grass  lot," 
said  the  other.  He  looked  again,  and  said,  "I  see  a  man 
there,  but  no  bishop."  "But  that  is  certainly  the  bishop," 
replied  his  companion.  "  No  I  no  I"  rejoined  he,  "  that  can- 
not be,  for  the  man  is  in  his  shirt  sleeves."  Soon  the  bishop 
came  up,  and  the  remarks  which  had  been  made  were  rela- 
ted to  him,  which  he  seemed  to  relish  with  great  pleasure. 

From  the  time  of  his  election  to  the  episcopacy,  to  that  of 


BISHOP    ROBERTS.  335 

his  death,  Bishop  Roberts  made  his  annual  visits  to  the  Con- 
ferences with  punctuality,  and  always  presided  with  dignity, 
and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  preachers.  Nor  was  it 
alone  in  the  Conferences,  and  by  the  preachers,  that  he  was 
beloved  and  respected.  The  people  in  every  place  where  he 
appeared,  admired  the  simplicity  of  his  manners,  and  the  hu- 
miliLy  of  his  deportment.  In  a  certain  town,  a  violent  op- 
poser  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  once  thought  it  his 
duty  to  declaim  publicly  against  the  Methodist  bishops,  and 
represented  them  as  going  about  the  country  in  a  style  of 
magnificence  and  splendor.  As  his  remarks  were  generally 
believed,  a  corresponding  degree  of  prejudice  was  created  in 
the  minds  of  the  people  against  the  bishops  and  the  Church, 
and  a  seceding  church  was  formed  in  the  place,  which  was 
likely  to  eat  up  the  old  one.  A  few  weeks  after,  Bishop 
Roberts  providentially  passed  through  the  place,  and  when  it 
was  announced  that  he  would  preach,  a  general  curiosity  was 
excited  to  see  and  hear  the  pompous  prelate,  as  they  supposed 
him  to  be.  The  house  was  filled  to  overflowing,  and  at  the 
appointed  hour,  i\ie  prelate  appeared,  arrayed  in  an  old  faded 
calico  robe,  or  loose  gown,  and  all  his  other  apparel  of  the 
coarsest  kind ;  and  when  the  good  old  bishop  preached  in  his 
artless,  winning  v/ay,  he  won  the  hearts  of  the  entire  congre- 
gation, so  that  the  current  immediately  set  in,  in  an  opposite 
direction,  and  the  seceders  soon  gave  up  their  new  Church, 
and  returned  in  a  body  to  their  old  home. 

Bishop  Roberts'  labors  during  the  last  years  of  his  life,  were 
arduous  and  unremitting.  In  the  spring  of  1842,  he  set  out 
to  visit  the  Indian  Missions,  west  of  the  Arkansas  and  Mis- 
souri, purposing  also  to  visit  those  on  the  Upper  Mississippi ; 
and  this,  too,  when  his  health  was  very  feeble.  The  hard- 
shijjs  endured  by  the  old  man  and  his  travelling  companion, 
had  we  space  to  notice  them,  would  prove  that  the  office  of  a 
Methodist  bishop  is  by  no  means  a  sinecure,  but  we  must  for* 


336  LIVES    OP    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

bear.  One  little  incident  connected  with  this  visit  to  the 
wilds  of  the  West,  we  will  notice.  While  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Fort  LeavenAvorth,  the  bishop  and  his  companion 
stopped  at  au  Indian  trading  house,  and  requested  accommo- 
dations for  the  night.  The  trader  was  unwilling  to  accom- 
modate them,  not  knowing  who  they  were.  They  ofiered  to 
take  up  with  fire  and  shelter  merely,  but  all  entreaty  was 
unavailing.  At  last,  the  bishop's  companion  turned  to  him 
and  said,  "  Bishoj),  what  is  to  be  done  ?"  "  Why,  we  must 
get  some  fire  and  camp  out,"  replied  the  latter.  The  word 
bislwji,  had  a  powerful  efiect  on  the  Frenchman's  ears,  for  he 
immediately  said,  "  0,  by  no  means,  gentlemen,  you  shall  be 
very  welcome  to  stay  ;"  and  stay  they  did,  and  found  comfort- 
able entertainment  for  the  night.  The  gentleman  who  ac- 
companied the  bishop,  after  finding  out  the  value  of  the  title 
bisliop,  never  failed  to  use  it  in  every  case  of  subsequent 
emergency,  and  found  it  alvv^ays  paid  all  expenses. 

In  compensation  for  these  laborious  services,  the  bishop,  as 
we  have  seen  elsewhere,  received  the  annual  allowance  of 
two  hundred  dollars  I  In  addition,  however,  to  the  above, 
the  General  Conference,  in  view  of  the  necessary  family  ex- 
penses of  the  married  bishops,  authorized  the  book  agents  at 
New  York,  to  make  them  an  annual  allowance  for  table  ex- 
penses. From  1816  to  1819,  no  such  allowance  was  received, 
for  some  cause,  by  Bishop  Roberts  ;  so  that  for  the  first  three 
years  of  his  episcopate,  two  hundred  dollars  was  the  sum  total 
of  his  receipts.  Fram  1819  to  1832,  he  received  two  hun- 
dred dollars  additional,  for  table  expenses,  making  his  annual 
receipts  four  hundred  dollars  ;  and  at  no  time  during  his  life, 
did  they  exceed  six  hundred,  all  told.  Now,  when  it  is  known 
that  bishops  are  expected  to  bo  examples  of  hospitality  and 
benevolence,  and  that  the  occasions  for  the  exercise  of  these 
traits  of  character  are  very  frequent,  it  is  truly  a  matter  of 
astonishment,  how  on.  the  one  hand,  they  could  give  liberally, 


BISUOP    ROBERTS.  337 

and  on  the  other,  find  means  to  do  so.  The  true  secret  is  to 
he  found  in  the  rigid  economy  of  those  self-denying  men,  and 
their  companions  in  life. 

Bishop  Roberts  for  many  years,  was  subject  to  an  asthmatic 
complaint,  which  become  increased  by  the  cold  weather  of 
the  winter  of  1842-3.  He  was  finally  prostrated  upon  the 
bed  of  disease,  and  on  the  26th  of  March,  1843,  he  closed  his 
eyes  in  death,  at  his  residence  in  Indiana.  His  remains  were 
interred  within  the  pi'ecincts  and  solitude  of  his  own  farm, 
where  they  remained  for  several  months,  but  at  length,  by 
vote  of  the  Indiana  Conference,  they  were  disinterred,  and 
conveyed  to  Greencastle,  la.,  for  final  interment,  where  they 
were  deposited  in  a  beautiful  spot  near  the  buildings  of  the 
Indiana  University.  Baltimore,  Louisville,  and  Cincinnati,  all 
begged  the  privilege  of  removing  his  remains  to  their  respec- 
tive localities,  but  it  was,  perhaps,  more  fitting  that  they 
should  remain  in  the  State  where  he  had  so  long  resided,  aiid 
that  the  University  to  which  he  had  bequeathed  all  his  dis- 
posable property,  should  have  the  honor  of  receiving  his  re- 
mains, and  giving  to  them  a  place  of  sepulture.  His  end  was 
peaceful,  and  his  last  breathings  were  those  of  prayer.  Thus 
died  Robert  R.  Roberts,  in  the  sixty-fifth  year  of  his  age,  the 
forty-first  of  his  travelling  ministry,  and  the  twenty-seventh  of 
his  episcopate. 

A  brief  description  of  his  person  and  character  will  close 
this  chapter.  Physically,  Bishop  Roberts  was  comely  in  his 
person  ;  his  height,  five  feet  ten  inches  ;  his  frame,  heavy  and 
inclined  to  corpulency  ;  his  features,  large,  but  not  gross  ;  his 
eye  blue,  and  noticeable  for  its  calmness  ;  his  manners  totally 
unaffected,  and  the  very  pattern  of  true  simplicity.  Mentally 
considered,  Bishop  Roberts  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary 
talents ;  his  mind  was  penetrating,  his  judgment  sound,  and 
his  memory  wonderfully  retentive.  As  a  preacher,  he  may 
have  had  his  superiors  for  power,  and  what  is  \isually  called 

22 


338  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

eloquence ;  but  for  clearness  of  thouglit,  simplicity  of  style, 
and  above  all,  the  divine  unction  which  attended  the  vi^ord, 
he  had  iew,  if  any,  equals.  In  regard  to  piety,  which  embraces 
all  the  elements  of  Christian  duty  and  feeling,  he  was  above 
suspicion.  No  greater  eulogy  need  be  given  him,  than  that 
he  was  emphatically  a  good  man,  a  good  ?}iinister,  and  a 
good  Bishop.  "For"  him  "  to  live,"  was  "Christ;  to  die" 
was  "gain." 


REV.  JOHN  EMORV. 


I 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

BISHOP    EMORY. 

In  the  Christian  ministry  have  always  been  found  men  of 
diversified  talents  and  acquirements.  Some  have  possessed  a 
gigantic  intellect,  with  a  refined  and  polished  education,  which 
having  smoothed  the  natural  unevenness  of  their  character,  has 
left  nothing  but  the  pure  diamond  to  glitter  and  enlighten  the 
world.  Others,  wath  the  same  strength  of  mind,  the  same 
vigor  of  understanding,  the  same  capacity  for  knowledge,  are, 
for  lack  of  opportunity,  left  like  the  diamond  in  its  rough  and 
unpolished  state,  which  although  it  may  not  dazzle  so  much, 
is  nevertheless  as  purely  a  diamond  as  the  other.  It  must  be 
admitted  also,  that  men,  and  especially  ministers,  differ  very 
much  in  their  natural,  as  well  as  acquired  abilities ;  while 
some  are  persons  of  only  moderate  strength  of  mind,  others, 
are  perfect  intellectual  giants ;  but  each  one  is  necessary  to 
the  progress  of  truth,  and  each  is  requisite  to  fill  the  important 
station  designed  for  him  in  the  arrangements  of  divine  provi- 
dence. The  apostles  of  our  Lord  differed  in  strength  of  un- 
derstanding, as  well  as  in  acquired  abilities ;  one  had  the 
learning  and  refinement  of  Paul,  another  the  zeal  and  ardor  of 
Peter,  while  a  third  had  the  love  and  superior  piety  of  John  ; 
and  all  these  "  diversities  of  gifts"  were  bestowed  for  the  ex- 
press purpose  of  meeting  the  diversified  views  and  feelings  of 
men,  that  the  whole  body  of  Christ  might  be  edifiied,  not  only 


340  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

by  a  "diversity  of  operations"  but  by  a  "  difference  of  admin- 
istrations." 

In  a  preceding  chapter,  we  have  seen  Bishop  George  as  a 
diamond  dug  from  the  earth,  but  retaining  in  part,  its  unpol- 
ished surface,  arising  from  obscurity,  and  becoming  an  ac- 
knowledged leader  and  superintendent  of  the  largest  protestant 
denomination  of  Christians  in  the  United  States.  As  the  sub- 
ject of  the  present  chapter,  we  are  called  to  the  contempla- 
tion of  a  man  filling  the  same  important  office,  and  yet  entirely 
dissimilar  in  many  respects,  from  the  subject  of  the  former  ; 
a  man,  who  to  strength  of  understanding,  added  the  advan- 
tages of  education  and  the  polished  refinement  of  the  Christian 
gentleman. 

John  Emory  was  a  native  of  the  State  of  Maryland,  and 
was  born  in  the  year  1788.  He  was,  at  an  early  age,  care- 
fully instructed  in  the  rudiments  of  education,  and  as  he  was 
designed  by  his  parents  for  the  profession  of  law,  they  directed 
his  course  of  study  with  direct  reference  to  their  design ;  and 
young  John  was  by  no  means  backward  in  applying  his  mind 
to  the  pursuit  of  knowledge,  intending,  no  doubt,  at  some  fu- 
ture day,  to  act  a  conspicuous  part  at  the  bar,  as  well  as  in 
the  councils  of  the  nation.  Up  to  the  age  of  seventeen,  he 
lived,  as  the  majority  of  youths  do,  "  without  God,  and  with- 
out hope  in  the  world,"  but  at  the  latter  age,  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  the  Methodists,  he  was  powerfully  convinced 
of  sin,  and  led  to  consecrate  himself,  with  all  his  talents  and 
acquirements,  to  the  service  of  God.  As  the  result  of  such 
unreserved  consecration,  he  soon  obtained  the  forgiveness  of 
sin,  as  also  the  "witness  of  the  Spirit,"  to  bear  witness  with 
his  spirit,  that  he  Avas  a  child  of  God  and  an  heir  of  heaven. 

Shortly  after  young  Emory's  conversion,  he  felt  himself 
called  to  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  Methodists,  and  after  having 
taken  this  important  step,  he  felt  an  impression  that  it  was 
his  duty  to  forsake  the  study  of  law,  and  devote  himself  to  the 


BISHOP    EMORT.  341 

work  of  the  ministry.  Young  Emory  was  not  the  only  one 
who  received  an  impression  of  his  duty  in  that  respect ;  for  as 
the  Spirit  of  God  in  its  operations  upon  the  mind  of  the  can- 
didate, and  upon  the  minds  of  the  memhers  of  his  Church 
harmonizes  in  pointing  out  the  way  of  duty,  so  in  Mr.  Emory's 
case,  the  Church  with  which  he  had  connected  himself,  soon 
discovered  that  God  had  a  work  for  him  to  do  ;  consequently, 
he  soon  received  license  to  exhort,  and  preach  ;  and  in  the 
year  1810,  when  in  his  twenty-second  year,  h^e  entered  the 
travelling  ministry,  by  being  received  on  trial  in  the  Philadel- 
phia Annual  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
It  is  comparatively  unimportant  what  particular  circuits  he 
travelled  during  his  novitiate  ;  suffice  it  to  say,  that  he  made 
full  proof 'of  his  call  to  the  ministry,  and  in  due  course  of  time 
was  honorably  received  into  full  connection  with  the  Confer- 
ence, and  ordained  first  a  deacon,  and  subsequently  an  elder 
in  the  Church  of  God,  having,  in  the  meanwhile,  filled  the 
various  stations  assigned  him  by  his  senior  brethren,  with 
great  credit  to  himself,  and  honor  to  the  Church. 

In  the  year  1816,  although  but  an  elder  for  two  years,  and 
consequently  one  of  the  younger  members  of  the  Conference, 
and  being  but  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  such  was  the  confi- 
dence reposed  in  him  by  his  brethren,  that  they  elected  him 
as  a  delegate  to  the  General  Conference,  which  assembled 
that  year  in  the  city  of  Baltimore.  While  met  with  his 
brethren  in  the  highest  council  of  the  Church,  he  displayed 
talents  of  no  ordinary  kind,  and  it  was  a  knowledge  of  the 
possession  of  these  talents  combined  with  an  elevated  tone  of 
piety,  which  induced  the  General  Conference  itself  to  bestow 
upon  him  some  of  the  highest  honors,  and  invest  him  with 
some  of  the  gravest  responsibilities  which  it  had  power  to 
confer  upon  the  ministers  of  the  Church. 

In  the  year  1820,  he  was  by  the  Baltimore  Conference,  of 
which  he  had  become  a  member,  again  elected  to  a  seat  in 


342  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

the  General  Conference,  and  a  further  mark  of  honor  was 
conferred  upon  him,  by  the  General  Conference,  in  selecting 
him  as  its  representative  to  the  British  Wesleyan  Conference 
in  England.     At  this  period,  important  questions  relating  to 
the  Methodists  in  the  Provinces  of  Canada,  were  being  agi- 
tated between  the  British  and  American  Methodists.     Meth- 
odism was  planted  in  Canada,  principally  by  the  labors  of 
ministers  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United 
States,  and  the  Societies  raised  up  in  difierent  parts  of  the  two 
provinces,  had  been  supplied  with  preachers  from  the  latter 
Church,  until  the  war  of  1812-15,  during  the  existence  of 
which,  it  was  both  inconvenient   and  unsafe  for  American 
ministers  to  cross  the  boundary  line.     Hence,  the  British  Con- 
ference considered  it  a  duty  to  send  missionaries  to  difierent 
parts  of  the  provinces,  who  occupied  the  various  fields  of  la- 
bor assigned  them,  until  the  cessation  of  hostilities.     When 
peace  ensued,  and  all  barriers  to  passing  and  repassing  were 
removed,  a  large  portion  of  the  Societies  desired  to  be  supplied 
again  with  the  word  of  life,  and  the  ordinances  of  religion 
from  their  former  pastors  and  ministers ;  while  another  por- 
tion desired  a  continuance  of  the  labors  of  the  English  Mis- 
sionaries among  them.     And  as  the  bishops  of  the  American 
Church  did  not  possess  sufficient  authority  to  withdraw  their 
jurisdiction  from  the  Societies  in  Canada,  it  became  necessary 
for  them  to  appoint  preachers  to  places  hitherto  occupied  by 
them,  but  now  occupied  by  the  preachers  of  the  English  Con- 
nection.    This  state  of  things  led  to  considerable  confusion 
and  agitation,  in  the  localities  alluded  to,  and  a  correspond- 
ence ensued,  in  relation  to  existing  difficulties,  between  the 
bishops  of  the  American  Church,  and  the  missionary  commit- 
tee of  the  English  Conference. 

The  Rev.  Messrs.  Black  and  Bennett  were  appointed  by 
the  Wesleyan  Conference,  as  delegates  to  the  General  Con- 
ference of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  adjust  if  possi- 


BISHOP    EMORY.  348 

ble  the  existing  difficulties  between  the  two  bodies,  and  a  long 
and  friendly  letter  was   received  from  the  former  body,  an 
extract  of  which  relating  to  these  difficulties,  we  will  give  to 
the  reader  :   "  To  preserve  a  good  mutual  understanding  and 
the  unity  of  the  Spirit,  and  as  far  as  possible,  a  co-operation 
in  promoting  the  good  work  of  the  Lord,  we  feel  it  our  duty 
to  state  to  you,  a  subject  of  local  difference  which  to  us  has 
been  painful,  and  which  we  feel  a  delicacy  in  stating,  but  to 
which  we  are  compelled  from  the  necessity  of  the  case,  that 
the  word  of  the  Lord  be  not  hindered.     In  consequence  of  ap- 
plication being  made  to  the  British  Conference,  from  the  So- 
ciety at  Montreal,  a  missionary  was  sent  to  that  place,  and 
received  as  the  messenger  of  the  gospel  of  peace  ;  but  we  are 
sorry  to  learn,  that  some  misunderstanding  has  taken  place 
between  brothers  Strong  and  Williams,  our  missionaries,  and 
brother  Ryan,  your  presiding  elder  for  Lower  Canada.     From 
the  former,  we  have  received  a  statement  of  their  proceedings, 
and  from  the  latter,  a  letter  of  complaint.    We  have  also  re- 
ceived  a  letter  from   Brother  Bennett,  the  chairman  of  the 
Nova  Scotia  district,  who  has  visited  Montreal,  &c.,  an.d  re- 
ported to  us  his  proceedings.     Upon  a  review  of  the  whole, 
and  from  tlie  most  serious  and  deliberate  consideration,  we  are 
led  to  conclude  that  considering  the  relative  situation  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Montreal,  and  of  Canada  to  this  country,  and 
particularly,  as  a  principal  part  of  the  people  appear  to  be  in 
favor  of  our  missionaries,  it  would  be  for  their  peace  and  com- 
fort, and  the  furtherance  of  the  Gospel,  for  our  brethren  to  oc- 
cupy those  stations,  especially  the  former,  and  to  which  we 
conceive  we  have  a  claim,  as  a  considerable  part  of  the  mo- 
ney for  building  the  Chapel  and  house,  was  raised  in  this 
country.     We  trust  our  American  brethren  will  see  the  pro- 
priety of  complying  with  our  wishes  in  respect  to  these  places; 
not  to  mention  their  political  relation  to  this  country,  which 
however  is  not  of  little  importance,  for  we  are  conscious  that 


344  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

their  general  habits  and  preferences,  are  in  favor  of  English 
preachers,  being  more  congenial  to  their  views  and  feelings, 
which  should  certainly  be  consulted,  and  will  tend  to  facilitate 
the  success  of  the  Gospel,  and  their  spiritual  prosperity.  As 
your,  and  our  object  is,  mutually  to  diffuse  the  knowledge  of 
Him  whose  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world,  and  by  every  possi- 
ble means  to  promote  the  immortal  interests  of  men,  let  us 
not  contend, — we  have  one  Master,  even  Christ — but  give 
place  to  each  other,  that  the  word  of  the  Lord  may  have  free 
course,  run  and  be  glorified.  We  cannot  but  hope  that  from 
the  contiguity  of  the  labors  of  the  brethren  belonging  to  the 
two  Conferences,  the  spirit  of  lenity  and  love  will  be  promo; 
ted,  and  by  this  measure  a  more  perfect  reciprocal  intercourse 
estabhshed.  As  you  have  kindly  invited  our  esteemed  breth- 
ren Messrs.  Black  and  Bennett,  to  take  a  seat  in  your  Confer- 
ence, we  have  directed  them  to  pay  you  a  visit  at  Baltimore, 
for  this  purpose,  and  to  amicably  arrange  and  settle  this  busi- 
ness, whom  we  trust  you  will  receive  as  our  representatives 
and  as  brethren." 

The  document  from  which  the  above  extract  is  taken,  was 
signed  in  behalf  of  the  Wesleyan  Mission  Committee,  in  Lon- 
don, by  Rev.  Messrs.  Wood,  Benson,  and  Buckley,  and  after 
having  been  read  to  the  General  Conference  was  referred  to 
a  special  committee,  who  presented  a  report  which  was  adopt- 
ed. As  this  report  will  serve  to  throw  additional  light  on  the 
subject  of  Mr.  Emory's  visit  to  England,  we  beg  leave  to 
transfer  it  to  our  pages. 

"  The  Committee  appointed  by  the  General  Conference  to 
confer  with  Messrs.  Black  and  Bennett,  delegates  appointed 
by  the  London  Methodist  Missionary  Society,  to  represent  the 
British  Connection  in  this  Conference,  and  if  possible  to  make 
an  amicable  adjustment  of  certain  differences  between  our 
Church,  and  the  British  Connection,  relative  to  Upper  and 
Lower  Canada,  beg  leave  to  submit  the  following  report,  viz. : — 


BISnOP   EMORT.  846 

"  1.  Your  Committee  have  had  several  friendly  interviews 
with  the  above-mentioned  delegates  on  those  subjects,  and 
they  are  happy  to  state,  that  there  appears  to  be  an  earnest 
desire  to  have  all  existing  difficulties  terminated,  to  the  peace 
and  mutual  satisfaction  of  both  parties,  and  to  perpetuate  the 
Christian  union  and  good  understanding  which  have  hitherto 
existed. 

'•2.  It  appears  from  written  communications,  as  well  as 
from  verbal  testimony,  that  unhappy  dissensions  have  taken 
place  in  Montreal,  between  certain  missionaries,  sent  (at  the 
request  of  a  few  official  members  of  the  Society  in  that  place, 
in  time  of  the  last  war)  by  the  London  Missionary  Society, 
and  some  American  preachers,  which  have  terminated  in  the 
division  of  that  Society. 

"3.  Although  the  late  hostilities  between  the  two  coun- 
tries, separated  for  some  time  those  provinces  from  the  imme- 
diate superintendency  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
America,  yet  all  the  circuits  (except  Gluebec)  Avere  as  regu- 
larly supplied  as  circumstances  would  admit  of,  with  Ameri- 
can preachers. 

"  4.  It  furthermore  appears,  from  written  and  verbal 
communications,  that  it  is  the  desire  of  the  great  majority  of 
the  people  in  Upper  and  Lower  Canada,  to  be  supplied  as 
heretofore,  with  preachers  from  the  United  States. 

"  5.  In  the  two  provinces,  there  are  twelve  circuits,  and 
one  station  (Montreal),  which  have  eleven  meeting-houses, 
which  have  been  hitherto  supplied  by  American  preachers. 

"  These  things  being  duly  considered,  together  with  the 
contiguity  of  those  provinces  to  the  western  and  northern 
parts  of  the  United  States,  your  committee  respectfully  sub- 
mit the  following  resolutions  : — 

"  Resolved,  By  the  delegates  of  the  Annual  Conference  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  General  Conference  as- 
sembled, 


346  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

"1.  That  we  cannot  consistently  with  our  duty  to  the 
Societies  of  our  charge  in  the  Canadas,  give  up  any  part  of 
them,  or  any  of  our  chapels  in  those  provinces,  to  the  super- 
intendence of  the  British  Connection. 

"  2.  That  a  respectful  letter  be  addressed  to  the  London 
Methodist  Missionary  Society,  explaining  the  reasons  for  the 
above  resolution." 

In  accordance  with  the  second  resolution,  a  respectful  and 
friendly  letter  was  sent  to  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Commit- 
tee, giving  the  reasons  which  led  to  the  adoption  of  the  first 
resolution,  and  requesting  that  the  preachers  in  each  Connec- 
tion in  Canada,  might  be  permitted  to  occupy  and  labor  in 
their  respective  fields,  without  molestation  from  each  other. 
Whatever  disposition  might  have  existed  on  the  part  of  the 
General  Conference,  or  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Committee, 
to  heal  existing  difficulties,  it  was  found  much  easier  to  rec- 
ommend peace  and  mutual  forbearance,  than  it  was  to  heal 
the  breach  which  had  been  made  in  certain  localities,  par- 
ticularly in  Montreal  and  Kingston ;  hence,  for  a  number  of 
years  subsequent  to  the  General  Conference  of  1816,  two  par- 
ties were  found  in  those  localities,  and  in  Montreal,  both 
British  and  American  preachers  were  regularly  stationed  over 
the  Society  (or  more  properly  Societies)  in  that  city,  until  the 
local  feeling  became  so  excited,  as  to  be  intolerable  ;  and  the 
same  state  of  things  existed  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  in 
several  parts  of  Upper  Canada. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1820,  the  subject  again  came 
before  that  body,  by  numerous  memorials  and  complaints, 
from  the  several  Societies  in  Upper  Canada,  protesting  in  the 
strongest  terms  against  the  interference  of  the  British  mis- 
sionaries, and  praying  for  a  continued  supply  of  the  word  of 
life  and  the  ordinances  of  the  Gospel,  from  the  United  States. 
Whereupon,  the  General  Conference  adopted  a  resolution,  in- 
structing the  bishops  to  continue  their  superintendence  over 


I 


BISHOP    EMORY.  84l 

all  the  Societies  in  the  Canadas,  excepting  Gluebec.  They 
then  made  provision  for  the  appointment  of  a  delegate  to  the 
British  Conference,  to  negotiate  in  regard  to  the  existing  diffi- 
culties, and  effect  if  possible  an  amicable  arrangement.  Mr. 
Emory,  as  before  stated,  was  the  person  selected  to  proceed  to 
England  on  this  important  mission.  He  accordingly  sailed 
for  Europe  in  the  month  of  July  following,  and  was  cordially 
received  by  the  British  Conference,  as  the  messenger  of  peace. 
After  having  opened  his  commission,  an  arrangement  was 
happily  effected  in  relation  to  hitherto  existing  difficulties.  A 
series  of  resolutions  was  accordingly  adopted  by  the  Confer- 
ence, to  which  Mr.  Emory,  as  the  representative  of  the 
American  Connection,  cheerfully  assented.  The  substance 
of  these  resolutions  is  as  follows  : — 

1.  That  as  American  and  British  Methodists  are  but  one 
body,  it  is  inconsistent  with  such  unity,  to  have  different  So- 
cieties and  congregations  in  the  same  towns  and  villages. 

2.  That  this  principle  govern  the  two  Conference*  in  their 
adjustment  of  disputes. 

3.  That  the  most  effectual  mode  of  carrying  this  rule  into 
effect,  is  for  the  American  brethren  exclusively  to  occupy 
Upper  Canada,  and  the  British  missionaries  Lower  Canada. 

4.  That  should  any  j)lace  on  either  side  of  the  boundary 
line,  be  destitute  of  religious  help,  then  either  body,  with  the 
consent  of  the  General  Conference,  or  Canada  District  Meet- 
ing, may  appoint  preachers  to  such  destitute  settlements. 

5.  That  each  party  be  bound  to  supply  all  places  left  va- 
cant by  the  other,  under  the  agreement  made,  with  preach- 
ers, &c. 

6.  That  the  English  Mission  Committee  address  a  letter 
to  all  the  members  m  Upper  Canada,  informing  them  of  the 
arrangement,  and  requesting  them  to  transfer  their  member- 
ship to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

7.  That  the  bishops  of  the  Araericau  Church  direct  a  simi 


348  LIVES    OF    KMINENT    MINISTERS. 

lar  letter  to  the  members  in  Lower  Canada,  making  a  similar 
request,  to  place  themselves  under  the  care  of  the  British 
missionaries. 

In  addition  to  the  plan  of  agreement  entered  into  between 
the  British  Conference  and  Mr.  Emory,  as  the  representative 
of  the  American  Church,  for  the  settlement  of  difficulties, 
several  other  resolutions  were  adopted  by  the  former,  as  ex- 
pressive of  their  good  feeling  toward,  and  desire  for  a  closer 
union  with  their  transatlantic  brethren.  In  these  resolutions, 
they  commend  the  American  Church  for  its  zeal  and  effi- 
ciency, and  expressed  a  desire  for  a  continued  interchange  of 
delegates  ;  they  strongly  express  their  high  approbation  of  the 
selection  of  Mr.  Emory  as  the  representative  to  their  body; 
that  there  should  be  a  regular  exchange  of  manisters,  maga- 
zines, missionary  reports,  and  notices,  and  all  new  original 
works  published  by  the  European  and  American  Methodists, 
from  their  respective  bnok-rooms. 

Mr.  Emory,  having  discharged  the  duties  assigned  him  by 
his  brethren,  soon  after  returned  home,  and  having  made  his 
report  of  the  success  of  his  mission,  returned  to  his  appropriate 
work  of  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  was  cordially  welcomed 
back  to  his  former  field  of  labor. 

In  accordance  with  the  .resolutions  adopted  in  England,  the 
Wesleyan  Missionary  Committee  in  London  on  the  20th  of 
August,  1820,  addressed  a  letter  of  instructions  to  their  mis- 
sionaries in  Upper  and  Lower  Canada,,  replete  with  senti- 
ments of  kindness  and  affection,  and  in  which  honorable  men- 
tion is  made  of  Mr.  Emory,  and  exhorting  them  to  carry  out 
the  provisions  of  the  resolutions  in  the  same  temper  and  spirit, 
with  which  they  were  mutually  agreed  upon.  A  letter  re- 
ferring to  the  same  matter,  was  also  addressed  on  the  20th 
of  October  following,  by  Bishop  M'Kcndree  to  the  members, 
official  members,  and  trustees,  in  Lower  Canada,  in  which 
they  are  advised  to  place  themselves  and  their  chapels,  under 


I 


BISHOP    EMORY.  349 

the  care  of  the  Enghsli  missionaries.  "  This  commuuieation 
to  you,"  says  the  venerable  bishop,  "  we  confess  is  not  made 
without  paiu  ;  not  from  any  want  of  affection  for  our  British 
brethren,  but  from  the  recollection  of  those  tender  and  endear- 
ing ties,  which  have  bound  us  to  you.  But  a  necessity  is  laid 
ujion  us. — It  is  a  peace-offering — No  other  consideration  could 
have  induced  us  to  consent  to  the  measure.  Forgive,  there- 
fore, our  seeming  to  give  you  up.  We  do  not  give  you  up  in 
heart,  in  affection,  in  kind  regards,  in  prayers." 

The  result  of  these  pacific  measures,  was  that  all  matters 
of  an  unpleasant  nature  as  existing  between  the  two  bodies, 
were  at  once  removed,  and  ever  since  that  period,  nothing  but 
friendship  and  good-feeling  have  existed  between  the  British 
and  American  Methodists,  a  state  of  things,  for  which  both 
parties  are  greatly  indebted  to  the  Christian  urbanity  and 
dignity  of  Mr,  Emory. 

In  1824,  Mr.  Emory  was  elected  assistant-agent  of  the 
Book  Concern  in  New  York,  an  office  which  he  filled  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  of  the  General  Conference,  and,  indeed,  of 
the  whole  Church,  and  one  which  demands  more  than  ordi- 
nary business  qualifications,  on  the  part  of  the  person  filling 
it.  After  having  served  the  Church  in  the  above  capacity 
for  four  years,  he  was  elected  by  the  General  Conference,  as 
the  principal  agent  of  the  Concern,  and  although  his  physical 
strength  during  this  period,  would  not  allow  him  to  perform 
all  that  active  service  in  the  department,  which  he  would 
have  been  glad  to  have  rendered,  yet  by  his  judicious  coun- 
sels, and  wise  arrangements,  he  continued  to  manage  its  in- 
terests, and  promote  its  prosperity  in  a  manner  truly  praise- 
worthy. 

It  was  during  the  period  in  which  he  sustained  the  office 
of  assistant-agent,  that  Mr.  Emory  found  it  necessary  to  enter 
the  lists  of  controversy,  and  do  battle  for  the  cause  of  truth 
and  righteousness.     The  occasion  which  called  for  the  use  of 


350  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

his  pen,  as  a  polemic  writer,  was  one  in  whicli  the  well-being 
of  the  Church  was  at  stake,  and  in  which  a  combined  effort 
was  being  made  to  subvert  the  constitution  of  the  Church ; 
and  as  a  necessary  result,  to  destroy  its  efficiency  and  success  : 
we  allude  to  the  efforts  of  the  "  Heformers,"  Avho  commenced 
their  operations  as  early  as  the  year  1824,  by  the  presenta- 
tion of  memorials  and  petitions,  from  lay  members  and  local 
preachers  to  the  General  Conference,  praying  that  body  to 
grant  them  "  the  right,"  as  they  termed  it,  of  a  voice  in  the 
legislative  department  of  the  Church  ;  in  other  words  to  ad- 
mit of  lay  representation  in  the  General  Conference.  The 
General  Conference  knowing,  that  however  proper  a  system 
of  lay  delegation  might  be  for  other  branches  of  the  Christian 
Church,  yet  it  must  effectually  destroy  the  itinerancy  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  if  permitted,  saw  fit  to  declare 
against  the  expediency  of  the  measure  proposed.  This  refusal 
to  grant  the  prayers  of  the  memorialists,  at  once  awakened 
the  deadliest  hostility  not  only  to  the  government  of  the 
Church,  but  to  its  chief  officers,  and  leading  men.  A  paper 
was  accordingly  established  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  which 
had  now  become  the  head-quarters  of  the  malcontents, — bear- 
ing the  imposing  title  of  "  Mutual  Rights,"  and  advocating 
in  the  strongest  and  most  belligerent  manner  possible,  the 
necessity  of  lay  representation.  Not  content  with  the  publi- 
cation ©f  this  periodical,  the  disaffected  formed  themselves 
into  what  they  called  "  Union  Societies,"  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  overthrowing  the  government  of  the  Church. 

In  this  work,  the  "  Reformers"  were  led  on  by  Rev.  Nich- 
olas Snethen,  who  had  formerly  been  an  influential  travelling 
preacher,  but  who  having  located,  had  taken  up  his  residence 
near  Baltimore,  and  who  by  personal  addresses,  and  by  arti- 
cles in  the  "  Mutual  Rights,"  and  "  Wesleyan  Repository," — 
another  reform  paper, — had  in  the  grossest  terms,  condemned 
the  existing  policy  of  the  Church.     In  the  meanwhile,  the 


BISHOP    EMORY.  351 

Rev.  Alexander  M'Caine,  a  popular  travelling  minister,  vol- 
unteered his  services  in  aid  of  the  cause  of  reform,  and  pub- 
lished a  pamphlet  entitled  the  "  History  and  Mystery  of  Meth- 
odist Episcopacy,"  in  which  he  attempted  to  prove,  that  un- 
fair and  dishonorable  measures  had  been  pursued  in  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church ;  that  Mr. 
Wesley  never  designed  the  establishment  of  a  Methodist 
Episcopacy  in  America ;  and  as  a  matter  of  consequence,  the 
episcopacy  of  Methodism  is  spurious  ;  and  Coke,  Asbury,  and 
other  fathers  of  the  Church,  who  assisted  in  its  organization, 
were  designing  and  corrupt  men. 

As  the  most  of  these  worthy  men  were  in  their  graves,  such 
an  outrageous  attack  upon  their  memory,  aroused  the  spirits 
of  their  sons  in  the  gospel,  many  of  whom  had  stood  aloof 
from  the  controversy,  but  who  could  not  remain  at  rest,  and 
see  the  well-earned  fame  of  the  fathers  of  Methodism,  sacri- 
ficed on  the  altar  of  reform.  As  already  intimated,  Mr.  Em- 
ory stepped  forth  in  honor  of  the  memory  of  the  dead,  and  in 
the  year  1827,  published  "  A  Defence  of '  Our  Fathers  ;'  and 
of  the  original  organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
against  the  Rev.  Alexander  M'Caine  and  others  ;  with  his- 
torical and  critical  notices  of  early  American  Methodism." 
As  a  brief  analysis  of  a  portion  of  the  contents  of  this  work, 
may  be  both  interesting  and  profitable  to  the  reader,  we  will 
invite  attention  to  a  few  sections. 

In  the  preface,  Mr.  Emory  says  :  "  The  work  here  present- 
ed to  the  reader,  is  not  a  party  work.  It  is  an  attempt  to 
wipe  off  the  foul  stains,  which  have  been  cast  on  us  by  the 
aspersion  of  our  founders.  If  Mr.  M'Caine's  book  be  true, 
it  is  impossible  that  any  Methodist  who  is  a  real  friend  of  the 
Church,  and  of  our  fathers,  can  otherwise  than  feel  himself 
disgraced.  To  such,  a  satisfactory  refutation  of  it,  cannot  fail 
to  be  acceptable.  Whatever  may  be  the  claims  of  the  re- 
spective questions  of  ecclesiastical  polity  agitated  among  us, 


352  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

let  them  stand  on  their  own  basis.  To  attempt  to  promote 
any  of  them  by  personal  attacks  on  the  dead,  is  an  unworthy 
resort ;  and  with  the  judicious  and  reflecting,  can  only  be  re- 
garded as  indicating  a  deficiency  of  better  arguments." 

The  body  of  the  work  contains  nineteen  sections.  In  the 
first  section,  Mr.  Emory  treats  of  the  true  nature  of  episcopacy, 
and  shows,  that  many  of  the  most  celebrated  archbishops  and 
bishops  of  the  Church  of  England  taught  the  doctrine,  that 
episcopacy  is  by  no  means  necessary  to  the  existence  and  per- 
petuity of  the  Cliurch  of  Christ,  and  that  nineteen  twentieths 
of  all  the  episcopalians  in  Great  Britain  and  the  United 
States,  agree  with  the  above  in  sentiment.  He  quotes  largely 
from  Stillingfleet's  "  Irenicum"  to  prove  that  Christ  estabhsh- 
ed  no  particular  form  of  Church  government,  but  that  each 
individual  branch  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  may  select  such 
form  as  is  best  designed  to  promote  its  interests.  In  the 
second  section,  Mr.  Emory  proves  that  Bishop  White,  the 
father  of  American  Episcopalianism,  and  bishop  of  the  Prot- 
estant Episcopal  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  held  the  same 
apinions  precisely  as  did  Bishop  Stillingfleet.  Section  third, 
embraces  Mr.  Wesley's  opinion,  which  coincides  with  the 
foregoing. 

Section  fourth  is  occupied  with  a  consideration  of  the  origin 
and  nature  of  ministerial  ordination,  and  he  herein  shows,  that 
Mr.  Wesley  discarded  the  idea  of  episcopal  ordination  as  un- 
derstood by  high  Churchmen.  In  section  fifth,  Mr.  Emory 
takes  up  the  ordination  of  Dr.  Coke  by  Mr.  Wesley,  and 
i^Tiotes  some  objections  from  Mr.  M'Caine's  book,  thus  :  "  If," 
Lays  Mr.  M'Caine,  "  Mr.  Wesley  ordained  Dr.  Coke  a  bishop 
jn  the  common  acceptation  of  the  term,  then  did  he  create  a 
Church  oflacer  greater  than  himself,  and  of  consequence  he 
brought  himself  into  subjection  to  Dr.  Coke,  by  making  the 
doctor  his  superior."  Again,  "If  the  doctor  was  constituted 
a  bishop,  he  was  raised  to  a  rank  above  a  presbyter,  and  in- 


BISHOP    EMORY.  353 

vested  with  superior  powers.  In  that  case,  he  that  was  sent, 
was  greater  than  he  that  sent  him," — "then  Mr.  Wesley, 
who  was  only  a  pi-esbyter,  and  consequently  inlerior  to  a  bishop, 
assumed  the  prerogative  to  send  his  superior  to  do  a  work  iji 
his  name,  which  he  himself  could  not  do  ;"  and  again, — "If 
the  doctor,  by  the  imposition  of  Mr.  Wesley's  hands,  is  created 
a  bishop,  then  the  objection  of  the  Bishop  of  Norwich  lies  in 
full  force  in  '  the  greater  is  blessed  of  the  less.'  " 

In  reply  to  these  objections,  Mr.  Emory  says  :  "We  have 
already  seen  what  Mr.  M'Caine  represents  to  be  the  '  common 
acceptation,  of  the  term  bishop  (which  by  the  way  we  have 
shown,  is  not  the  common  acceptation),  viz.  :  an  order  of  min- 
isters distinct  from  presbyters  by  divine  appointment,  to 
whom  the  power  of  ordination  is  reserved  by  the  same  appoint- 
ment,  and  is  the  chief  mark  of  their  distinction  ; — and  in 
whom,  as  successors  of  the  apostles,  is  vested  the  exclusive 
right  of  granting  the  divine  commission  to  execute  the  minis- 
terial office. — Now,  if  Mr.  Wesley  ordained  Dr.  Coke  in  no 
such  sense  ; — if  he  pretended  to  no  such  thing  ; — if  neither 
our  bishops,  nor  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  have  ever 
pretended  to  any  such  thing ; — what  then  ?  Why  then  it 
follows,  that  all  the  smart  sayings  on  this  transaction,  which 
have  been  repeated,  and  copied  from  my  Lord  Bishop  of  Nor- 
wich, down  to  Mr.  M'Caine,  are  wholly  wide  of  the  mark, 
and  are  shaken  both  from  Mr.  Wesley  and  u.s,  as  the  lion 
shakes  to  air,  the  mists  shed  on  his  mane. — If  Mr.  Wesley's 
position  be  true,  that  bishops  and  presbyters  are  the  same  or- 
der, the  Bishop  of  Norwich  should  have  first  overthrown  this 
position,  if  he  could,  to  have  established  his  own. 

"But,"  says  Mr.  M'Caine,  "as  Mr.  Wesley  and  Dr.  Coke 
were  of  the  same  order, — the  doctor  had  the  same  clerical 
right  to  ordain  Mr.  Wesley  a  bishop,  as  Mr.  Wesley  had  to 
ordain  the  doctor." — As  good  a  clerical  right ;  —  Mr.  M'Caine 
seems  to  have  felt  here,  that  his  argument  was  lame.     He 

23 


354  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

knows  well  that  the  true  question  is  not  as  to  the  mere  cleri- 
cal power  of  ordination  abstractly  ;  but  whether  in  the  cir- 
cumstances then  existing,  as  to  acknowledged  jurisdiction,  and 
the  exigency  of  the  times,  Dr.  Coke  had  as  good  a  right  to 
ordain,  and  send  Mr.  Wesley  to  superintend  the  American 
Methodists,  as  Mr.  Wesley  had  to  summon  a  council  and  to 
ordain  and  send  him." 

Mr.  Emory  then  proceeds  to  give  a  brief  but  comprehensive 
account  of  the  history  of  the  organization  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  proves,  most  conclusively,  that  the 
fathers  of  Episcopal  Methodism  went  no  farther  than  they 
were  fully  authorized  to  do  by  the  exigences  of  the  case,  and 
the  express  authority  of  Mr.  Wesley ;  and  triumphantly  vindi- 
cates their  memory  from  the  slanderous  charges  preferred 
against  them  by  their  sons  in  the  ministry. 

The  sixth  section  is  occupied  with  a  consideration  of  Dr. 
Coke's  letter  to  Bishop  White,  in  which  the  former  proposed 
a  plan  of  union  for  the  Methodists  and  Episcopalians  in 
America,  and  to  secure  which  he  expresses  his  belief,  that  the 
generality  of  the  preachers  would  not  refuse  to  receive  reordi- 
nation  at  the  hands  of  an  Episcopalian  bishop.  From  this 
expression  of  belief,  on  the  part  of  the  doctor,  Mr.  M'Caine 
inferred,  that  the  doctor  had  doubts  about  the  validity  of  his 
own  consecration,  and  of  the  ordination  of  those  preachers  ad- 
mitted by  him  to  holy  orders.  But  Mr.  Emory  shows  that 
such  an  inference  is  perfectly  irrational,  and  completely  dis- 
arms his  antagonist  at  that  point. 

In  section  seventh,  Mr.  Emory  proves  from  the  "  Prayer 
Book"  prepared  by  Mr.  Wesley,  for  the  American  Methodists, 
in  1784,  and  in  which  a  form  of  ordination  for  three  distinct 
officers  is  found,  that  such  form  of  ordination  would  not  have 
been  recommended  by  Mr.  Wesley,  unless  he  had  designed 
the  organization  of  an  Episcopal  Church.  Section  eighth  is 
in  reference  to  the  '•'■  Prayer  Book  of  1786  ;"  £^nd  in  this  sec- 


BISHOP    EMORV.  355 

tion,  Mr.  Emory  asks  the  following  important  questions  ; — 
the  reader  bearing  in  mind  the  fact,  that  Mr.  M'Caine  claim- 
ed that  Dr.  Coke  had  violated,  or  at  least  superseded  his  in- 
structions in  organizing  the  Methodist  Societies  into  an  Epis- 
copal Church. 

"1.  If  Dr.  Coke  and  Mr.  Asbury  were  conscious  that  they 
had  been  guilty  of  duplicity,  imposition,  and  fraud,  or  of  vio- 
lating Mr.  Wesley's  instructions  in  the  organization  of  the 
Methodist  E^nscopal  Church,  is  it  probable  that  they  would 
immediately  after,  have  printed  and  published  the  Minutes 
with  this  title,  and  with  an  explicit  statement  of  what  had 
been  done,  and  thus  have  exposed  their  acts  in  the  face  of 
Mr.  Wesley,  and  of  the  world  ?  Is  it  probable  that  Dr.  Coke, 
particularly,  who  had  the  Minutes  printed,  would  have  done 
this,  knowing  that  he  was  so  soon  to  return  to  England  ? 

"  2.  Is  it  not  rationally  presumable,  that  a  copy  of  these  Min- 
utes had  reached  Mr.  Wesley  in  the  interval  between  their 
publication  in  the  middle  of  Januarj',  and  the  last  of  July  of 
that  year,  before  the  close  of  the  British  Conference  ? 

"  3.  Is  it  not  at  least  certain,  that  Mr.  Wesley  must  have 
felt  sufficient  interest  in  this  matter,  to  have  required  from 
Dr.  Coke  a  particular  account  of  what  had  been  done  in 
A-merica  ? 

"4.  Is  it  not  presumable,  that  Dr.  Coke  carried  with  him 
a  copy  of  the  printed  Minutes  ? 

"  5.  Is  it  not  presumable,  that  Mr.  Wesley  would  have  in- 
quired of  him  whether  minutes  were  not  taken,  knowing  our 
custom  to  take  minutes  at  all  our  Conferences,  and  also  have 
requested  to  see  them  ? 

"6.  Could  Dr.  Coke  have  declined  to  show  them,  or  have 
concealed  from  Mr.  Wesley  what  had  been  done,  without  the 
grossest  duplicity  and  positive  falsehood  ? 

"7.  Is  it  probable  that  Dr.  Coke  was  not  only  so  knavish, 
but  so  stupid  as  to  hazard  his  reputation,  character,  standing, 


356  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

and  even  his  salvation,  thus  cheaply  and  foolishly,  when  he 
must  have  anticipated  with  certainty  that  Mr.  Wesley  would, 
at  some  future  time,  obtain  a  knowledge  of  what  had  been 
done,  if  he  did  not  then  ? 

"  8.  If  Dr.  Coke  could  have  been  guilty  of  such  baseness,  is  it 
not  probable  that  Mr.  Wesley  would  have  received  informa- 
tion of  it  from  some  quarter  ;  at  least  before  his  death  ;  which 
did  not  take  place  till  nearly  six  years  afterwards  ? 

"  9.  If  Mr.  Wesley  had  ever  discovered  that  Dr.  Coke  had 
so  grossly  betrayed  his  trust,  and  imposed  both  on  him  and  on 
us,  could  he  have  continued  afterwards  so  highly  to  esteem 
and  honor  him  as  he  notoriously  did,  even  to  the  day  of  his 
death  ?" 

Mr.  Emory  then  proceeds  to  show  that  from  1785  to  1791, 
Dr.  Coke  was  regularly  employed  by  Mr.  Wesley,  in  places 
of  the  greatest  trust  and  responsibility,  such  as  being  appoint- 
ed to  the  London  circuit,  to  the  presidency  of  the  Irish  Con- 
ference, &c.,  and  at  his  death,  appointed  him  the  chairman, 
or  first  member  of  four  important  trusteeships.  After  making 
these  statements,  and  asking  a  few  more  important  questions, 
Mr.  Emory  again  inquires,  "  Where  is  the  evidence,  that  he 
ever  objected  to  the  title  of  the  Church,  or  to  the  terms  '  epis- 
copal,' or  'episcopacy  ?'  "  "  Where  is  the  evidence,  that  he 
ever  protested  or  remon~strated  against  either  of  these,  or 
against  our  adoption  of  the  '  episcopal'  form  of  Church  govern- 
ment, uiider  the  direction  of  superintendents,  elders,  and  dea- 
cons. ' 

In  the  above  manner,  Mr.  Emory  triumphantly  refutes  the 
flimsy  objection  that  Mr.  Wesley  did  not  design  an  episcopal 
form  of  government  for  the  Methodists  in  America,  and  in  the 
next  (ninth)  section  of  his  book,  he  notices  the  oft-quoted  let- 
ler  of  Mr.  Wesley  to  Bishop  Asbury,  and  as  completely  over- 
comes his  opponent  at  this  point,  as  at  any  previous  one.  Did 
our  limits  allow,  we  would  be  glad  to  give  the  substance  of 


BISHOP    EMORT.  S5*T 

the  greater  part  of  the  admirable  work  which  we  have  no- 
ticed thus  far.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  the  arguments  advanced 
were  deemed  conclusive  by  the  great  body  of  the  Methodists, 
and  that  the  work  rapidly  passed  through  various  editions, 
and  procured  lasting  honor  for  the  author,  as  a  man  of  deep 
critical  acumen,  and  laborious  research. 

At  the  close  of  Mr.  Emory's  constitutional  term  of  office  in 
the  Book  Concern,  he  was  elected  bishop  of  the  Church  by 
the  General  Conference  of  1832,  and  was  consecrated  by  the 
laying  on  of  the  hands  of  Bishops  M'Kendree,  Roberts,  Soule, 
and  Hedding.  After  his  elevation  to  the  episcopacy,  Bishop 
Emory  entered  at  once  upon  the  discharge  of  his  important 
duties  with  such  a  degree  of  zeal,  and  yet  with  all  that  de- 
liberation which  might  have  been  expected  from  a  man  of 
his  eminent  abihties ;  and  thus  during  his  earthly  stay,  he 
continued  to  give  proof  of  his  fitness  for  the  highest,  and  most 
awfully  responsible  office  that  exists  in  the  Church  of  God. 
Although  but  a  young  man,  comparatively,  and  many  years  of 
usefulness  and  efficiency  were  expected  from  him,  yet  his  career 
was  suddenly  cut  short,  by  a  sudden  and  unexpected  accident. 

On  the  morning  of  the  16th  of  December,  1835,  he  arose 
from  his  bed  in  the  enjoyment  of  usual  health.  After  attend- 
ing to  his  religious  duties,  he  left  his  home,  which  was  near 
the  city  of  Baltimore,  for  the  purpose  of  attending  to  some 
episcopal  duties  in  the  latter  place.  While  pursuing  his  jour- 
ney leisurely,  his  horse,  which  was  attached  to  a  liglit  carriage, 
became  frightened  and  unmanageable.  The  bishop  was 
thrown  with  violent  force  from  his  carriage,  and  received  a 
severe  wound  on  his  head.  He  was  immediately  deprived  of 
his  senses,  and  althougli  all  the  aid  which  could  be  derived 
from  medical  attendance  was  speedily  secured,  yet  death  had 
marked  him  for  its  prey,  and  at  seven  o'clock  on  the  evening 
of  the  same  day,  he  breathed  his  last, 

"  And  ceased  at  once,  to  work  and  live." 


358  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

The  only  word  uttered  ty  him  between  the  moment  of  his 
fall  and  that  of  his  death,  was,  "  Amen  I"  in  answer  to  one 
of  the  many  prayers  ofiered  up  in  his  behalf. 

Thus  died  Bishop  John  Emory,  D.D.,  in  the  forty-eighth 
year  of  his  age,  the  twenty-sixth  of  his  ministry,  and  fourth 
of  his  episcopate,  leaving  not  only  a  large  circle  of  friends  to 
mourn  their  loss,  but  a  Church  to  bewail  the  sudden  depart- 
ure of  one  of  her  beloved  bishops.  Never  in  the  history  of 
that  Church,  of  which  the  deceased  was  so  bright  an  orna- 
ment, had  one  of  her  chief  pastors  been  called  so  suddenly 
and  unexpectedly  away ;  and  never  before,  was  such  un- 
feigned sorrow  felt  at  the  removal  of  one  of  the  leading  spirits 
of  the  age,  than  on  the  occasion  of  this  good  man's  death. 

We  have,  perhaps,  sufficiently  sketched  the  leading  traits 
in  Bishop  Emory's  character,  to  show  what  manner  of  man 
he  was ;  but  little,  therefore,  need  be  said  in  reference  to  the 
same.     A  few  general  remarks  will  close  this  chapter. 

1.  Bishop  Emory  was  emphatically  a  good  man.  From 
the  hour  of  his  conversion  to  God,  until  the  time  of  his  death, 
he  invariably  gave  evidence  that  his  heart  was  renewed  by 
divine  grace,  and  the  evidence  thus  furnished  arose  from  his 
consistent  holy  life, — a  blameless  conversation,  and  a  deport- 
ment which  seemed  to  say,  "  follow  me  as  I  follow  Christ." 

2.  His  qualifications  for  a  minister  and  a  bishop,  were  of  a 
high  order.  He  possessed  a  sound  judgment,  and  a  discrim- 
inating mind,  with  a  thorough  education  ;  all  these  qualifica- 
tions, rendered  him  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  duties  of  the  sa- 
cred office.  We  have  seen  specimens  of  his  logical  acumen, 
and  controversial  tact  in  the  extracts  given  from  his  "  Defence 
of  our  Fathers  ;"  and  his  business  tact  may  be  inferred  from 
the  manner  in  which  he  acquitted  himself  as  the  representa- 
tive of  the  Church  to  the  British  Conference,  as  also  while 
agent  of  the  Book  Concern.  His  writings  display  great  clear- 
ness and  force,  as  well  as  great  originality. 


BISHOP    EMORY.  359 

3.  As  a  preacher,  he  was  far  above  mediocrity.  He  al- 
ways evinced  a  correctness  of  taste  in  the  selection  of  his 
subjects,  and  in  his  manner  of  treating  them  ;  and  although 
he  was  a  carei'ul,  and  critical  analyzer  of  the  several  points 
which  might  be  under  consideration,  yet  his  pulpit  efforts 
were  far  from  being  dry,  or  uninteresting  to  the  less  informed 
hearer.  All,  whether  learned  or  unlearned,  listened  with  deep 
interest  to  whatever  proceeded  from  his  mouth. 

4.  Bishop  Emory  was  a  man  of  great  humility.  Although 
elevated  at  different  times  by  the  suffrages  of  his  brethren,  to 
the  most  honorable  positions  in  the  Church,  yet  he  had  very 
little  confidence  in  his  own  powers  of  mind,  and  as  a  matter 
of  consequence,  he  never  felt  himself  above  his  more  humble 
brethren,  but  on  all  occasions  of  importance,  was  in  the  habit 
of  consulting  his  friends  in  reference  to  the  propriety  of  any 
measure  which  he  thought  best  to  pursue  ;  and  he  was  al- 
ways ready  to  listen  to  everything  which  might  be  urged 
against  any  favorite  project,  before  he  finally  made  up  his 
mind  in  relation  thereto. 

5.  Bishop  Emory  was  a  useful  man.  True,  he  had  not 
preached  as  many  sermons,  or  travelled  as  many  thousands 
of  miles  as  his  worthy  colleagues  in  the  Episcopacy,  nor  of 
many  of  his  less  noted  brethren  in  the  ministry,  but  his  life, 
from  the  time  of  his  entering  into  the  ministry,  was  spent  in 
doing  good.  Eternity  alone  will  disclose  the  actual  amount 
of  good  performed  by  him,  and  although  he  died  under  cir- 
cumstances which  rendered  it  impossible  for  him  to  bear  tes- 
timony ill  the  dying  hour,  to  the  power  and  efficacy  of  that 
gospel  which  he  preached  to  others,  no  doubt  can  exist,  but 
he  has  received  from  the  Master  of  the  vineyard,  the  welcome 
plaudit,  "  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant — enter  into 
the  joys  of  thy  Lord." 


CHAPTEH   XVII. 

REV.    WILLBUR    F  I  S  K,  D.D. 

"WiLLBUR  FiSK  was  born  at  Brattleborough,  Vermont,  Au- 
gust 31st,  1792.  He  was  a  descendant  of  the  New  England 
puritans,  and  his  parents,  who  were  decidedly  pious,  gave  their 
son  a  religious  education,  which  no  doubt  prepared  him  in  a 
measure,  for  the  important  stations  he  was  afterwards  called 
m  the  providence  of  God  to  fill. 

His  father.  Judge  Fisk,  was  a  man  of  sterling  integrity,  and 
after  having  removed  to  the  county  of  Caledonia,  in  the  north- 
ern section  of  the  State  of  Vermont,  he  was  called  to  fill 
various  important  offices.  For  seventeen  years  at  intervals, 
he  was  a  member  of  the  State  legislature.  He  also  filled  the 
office  of  Chief-justice  of  the  County,  for  many  years. 

Notwithstanding  Willbur's  early  religious  education,  and 
his  freedom  from  the  grossest  sins,  yet  he  manifested  at  an 
early  age,  the  natural  corruption  of  the  human  heart,  which 
frequently  displayed  itself  in  fits  of  anger  and  passion.  At 
the  ape  of  eleven  years,  however,  he  became  the  subject  of 
powerful  religious  impressions,  and  from  the  force  of  convic- 
tion was  led  to  look  to  Jesus  Christ  as  the  sinner's  friend,  and 
by  the  exercise  of  faith  in  Him,  as  his  redeemer  and  personal 
Saviour,  he  soon  obtained  the  forgiveness  of  sin,  and  the  pos- 
session of  a  renewed  heart.  His  conversion  to  God  was  clear 
and  convincing,  not  only  to  himself,  but  to  his  friends ;  and 


WILLBUR   FISK. 


361 


he  shortly  afterward   united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  as  a  probationer. 

In  consequence  of  his  father's  removal  into  a  part  of  the 
State  of  Vermont,  where  educational  advantages  were  not  at 
that  time  as  extensive  as  they  are  now,  Willbur  was  not  fa- 
vored with  the  early  training  at  school,  which  Avould  have 
been  desirable.  From  the  age  of  seven  to  that  of  sixteen,  he 
only  attended  school  two  or  three  years,  a  circumstance  which 
he  ever  after  regretted.  But  although  deprived  of  the  advan- 
tages of  a  public  school,  his  time  was  by  no  means  entirely 
wasted,  as  he  was  very  fond  of  reading  ;  and  while  at  his 
work,  assisting  his  father  in  the  cultivation  of  his  farm,  he 
employed  many  a  spare  moment  in  perusing  works  of  science. 
His  thirst  for  knowledge,  at  length,  became  so  intense,  as  to 
unfit  him  for  his  usual  employment,  and  to  render  him  dis- 
satisfied with  his  situation  as  a  cultivator  of  the  soil.  In  the 
winter  of  1808-9,  when  he  was  about  sixteen  years  of  age, 
his  father  sent  him  for  three  months  to  the  county  grammar- 
school  at  Peacham,  Avhere  he  applied  himself  closely  to  the 
elementary  principles  of  language,  and  the  mathematics.  At 
the  end  of  the  quarter,  he  returned  to  assist  his  father,  where 
he  remained  until  the  autumn  of  1810,  when  he  again  spent 
six  weeks  in  the  grammar-school,  and  then  took  charge  of  a 
district  school  for  the  winter. 

His  advantages  at  the  grammar-school,  only  served  to  in- 
crease his  thirst  for  knowledge  ;  and  although  his  father's  cir- 
cumstances, through  the  reverses  of  fortune,  would  not  allow 
him  much  aid,  yet  he  nobly,  and  resolutely  resolved,  that  with 
his  own  unaided  eflbrts,  he  would  acquire  a  collegiate  educa- 
tion. Accordingly,  in  May  1811,  he  commenced  the  study 
of  Latin  grammar,  and  in  a  little  over  a  year,  he  fitted  him- 
si'lf  for  admission  to  the  University  of  Vermont,  located  in 
Burlington,  which  he  entered  as  a  Sophomore  in  August,  1812, 
where  he  pursued  his  studies  with  unwearied  diligence,  until 


362  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

the  University  course  of  instruction  was  suspended  by  the 
war  of  1812-15,  a  division  of  the  northern  army  having  ta- 
ken possession  of  the  University  buildings  as  a  barracks  !  But 
although  driven  from  the  halls  ef  science  in  Burlington,  he 
was  grateful  that  there  existed  other  literary  institutions, 
where  he  might  complete  his  course.  He,  accordingly,  went 
to  Middlebury  for  the  purpose  of  entering  the  College,  but 
while  conversing  with  the  president  of  the  inslilulion,  the  lat- 
ter spoke  somewhat  derogatorily  of  the  University  from  which 
Fisk  came,  -which  so  wounded  the  feelings  of  our  young  stu- 
dent, that  with  indignation  he  turned  away,  and  entered 
Brown  University,  at  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1814,  and  where  he  graduated  with  distinguished 
honor  in  August,  1815. 

Mr.  Fisk  was  now  in  his  twenty-third  year,  and  it  became 
necessary  for  him  to  choose  a  profession.  In  early  life,  his 
parents  had  hoped  that  he  might  be  a  minister  of  the  Gospel, 
and  his  own  thoughts  were  evidently  in  that  direction  v/hen 
he  first  attended  the  grammar-school ;  but  during  his  stay  at 
Peacham,  he  lost  a  sense  of  the  divine  favor,  and  knowing 
that  God  would  not  select  a  backslider  to  preach  the  gospel  to 
others,  he,  after  many  severe  conflicts  with  his  conscience,  in- 
stead of  resolving  to  return  to  his  "  father's  house"  like  the 
prodigal  of  old,  and  then  await  further  developments  and 
providential  indications,  entered  upon  the  study  of  law,  in  the 
office  of  the  Hon.  Isaac  Fletchei',  in  Lyndon,  the  place  of  his 
father's  residence.  While  in  this  office,  he  applied  himself 
most  assiduously  to  his  legal  studies,  and  gave  promise  of 
attaining  singular  eminence  as  a  lawyer  and  a  statesman. 
But  while  aiming  after  worldly  honors  and  emoluments,  his 
pious  parents  were  weeping  in  secret  over  his  religious  declen- 
sion ;  and  his  father,  on  one  occasion,  said  to  him,  that  he  had 
a  secret  hope,  that  "V^^'illbur's  religious  emotions  would  be  en- 
kindled  rnew,  '»vr'      "^-t  he  would  feel  that  ivoe,  spoken  of  by 


WILLBUR   FISK.  868 

St.  Paul,  if  he  jyreached  not  the  Gospel ;  and  his  pious  mother 
afterward  said,  "  While  Willbur  was  aiming  at  becoming  a 
distinguished  statesman,  I  was  all  the  time  praying,  that  he 
mi'rht  be  made  a  minister."  Thus  Mr.  Fisk,  for  a  while 
pursued  his  thorny  path,  vexed  on  the  one  hand,  by  the  clamors 
of  his  judgment,  and  the  prayeis  and  entreaties  of  his  parents, 
and  on  the  other,  by  the  flattering  allurements  of  wealth  and 
fame. 

After  having  pursued  the  study  of  law  for  some  time,  a 
highly  flattering  oiler  was  made  him,  by  a  gentleman  near 
Baltimore,  Maryland,  of  the  situation  of  private  tutor,  which 
oiTer  he  gladly  embraced,  as  the  most  ready  and  honorable 
way  of  replenishing  his  scanty  purse,  which  had  become  well- 
nigh  exhausted  by  the  expenses  incurred  in  securing  his  edu- 
cation.    While  eno-aged  in  his  office  of  tutor,  he  received  all 
the  attention  and  respect  which  he  could  have  desired,  and  in 
return,  gave  all  due  diligence  to  the  work  of  instructing  his 
pupils  ;  but  while  in  the  midst  of  usefulness,  he  was  prostra- 
ted by  a  severe  attack  of  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs,  and  by  the 
advice  of  his  physicians,  he  hurried  home  to  the  paternal 
mansion.     While  at  Burhngton,  Vermont,  on  his  way  home, 
he  was  seized  with  another  severe  attack,  and  the  benevolent 
inn-keeper,  at  whose  house  he  lay  sick,  was  distressed  at  the 
thought  of  a  young  gentleman  dying  at  his  house,  away  from 
his  friends,  without  ascertaining  before  he  died,  whether  he 
felt  himself  prepared  for  the  solemn  event.     The  tavern-keeper 
was  not  a  professor  of  religion,  and  the  unusual  circumstance 
of  being  asked  about  his  spiritual  state  by  a  man  whose  busi- 
ness would  naturally  lead  him  to  think  of  anything  else  but 
the  preparation  of  the  soul  for  death,  led  Mr.  Fisk  to  search 
his  heart ;  and  he  felt  doubly  reproved  by  the  fact,  that  one 
who  ought  to  have  been  his  pupil,  had  become  his  spiritual 
adviser. 

God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  did  not  suffer  Mr.  Fisk  to  die 


364  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

at  that  time,  but  raised  him  up,  and  enabled  him  to  return 
home,  in  company  with  his  affectionate  fatlier,  who,  hearing 
of  his  sou's  dangerous  ilhiess,  hastened  to  Burhngton.  and  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  him  partially  restored  to  health.  In 
the  rnean-u'hile,  Lyndon,  the  place  of  his  father's  residence, 
was  being  favored  with  a  glorious  outpouring  of  the  Spirit, 
and  several  of  Mr.  Fisk's  personal  friends  were  the  subjects  of 
the  work.  Under  these  circumstances,  and  those  just  related, 
it  is  not  wonderful  that  his  former  impressions  returned  ;  but 
before  he  could  regain  the  favor  of  God,  he  was  obliged  to 
seek  it  "  carefully,  and  with  tears,"  nor  did  he  long  seek  in 
vain.  Soon,  the  love  of  God  was  shed  abroad  in  his  heart, 
and  to  the  surprise  and  delight  of  the  pious  portion  of  com- 
munity, he  arose  one  Sabbath  evening,  and  declared  what 
God  had  done  for  his  soul.  He  also  confessed  his  derelictions 
from  the  path  of  duty,  and  stated  his  resolution  henceforth  to 
be  wholly  on  the  "  Lord's  side."  The  effect  on  the  assembly 
was  electric,  as  he  spoke  with  intense  emotion,  and  all  felt  an 
interest  in  him  as  a  young  gentleman  of  prepossessing  appear- 
ance, and  of  highly  gifted  powers  of  mind. 

As  soon  as  Mr.  Fisk  was  restored  to  his  heavenly  Father's 
favor,  he  began  to  exert  himself  for  the  spiritual  good  of 
others,  by  attending  religious  meetings,  and  leading  the  in- 
quiring mind  into  the  path  of  duty  and  safety,  and  he  soon 
beeran  to  feel  a  renewal  of  his  convictions  in  relation  to  his 
duty  of  preaching  the  gospel.  But  here,  a  question  of  impor- 
tance had  to  be  settled,  viz. — the  branch  of  the  Church,  to 
whose  service  he  should  especially  devote  his  time  and  talents. 
His  judgment  and  theological  views  inclined  him  to  the  min- 
istry of  the  Church,  in  whose  bosom  he  had  been  reared,  and 
through  whose  instrumentality  he  had  been  reclaimed  from 
his  wanderings  ;  but  on  the  other  liand,  his  temporal  advan- 
tage, his  ease  and  emoluments,  his  honor  and  reputation,  all 
pointed  to  some  other  Church.     Nor  were  these  all ;  his  old 


WILLBUR   FISK.  365 

Colletre  friends,  when  tliey  heard  of  his  inclination  to  be  a 
Metliodist  2^>'eachcr,  were  perfectly  astoundeil,  and  raised  a 
violent  outcry  aj^ainst  it,  and  one  of  them,  in  writing  to  Mr. 
Fisk,  accounts  for  this  inclination,  on   the  principle  that  the 
latter  would   "rather  rule  in  hell,  than  serve  in  heaven." 
But  another,  and  still  more  serious  obstacle,  was  found  in  the 
circumstance,  that  while  at  College,  he  had  formed  the  ac- 
quaintance of  Miss  Peck,  a  young  lady  of  superior  intelligence, 
who   was   a   member   of  the   Protestant   Epi-copal   Church. 
This  acquaintance  ripened  into  mutual  attachment,  and  even 
to  a  promise  of  marriage  at  some  future  time.     But  neither 
party,  at  this  period,  anticipated  the  fact  of  his  ever  becoming 
a  Methodist  preacher.     Under  these  circumstances,  Mr.  Fisk 
had  too  much  honor,  and  too  much  respect  for  the  cherished 
object  of  his  affections  to  involve  her  in  embarrassment  on 
account  of  his  course,  without  consulting  her  feelings  on  the 
subject.     Hence,   in   a  letter  to  her,  he  says  :    "  When  you 
gave  me  an  undivided  heart,  you  knew  not  to  whom  you  gave 
it.     If  my  health  is  restored,  I  expect  I  shall  try,  by  the  as- 
sistance of  Heaven,  to  preach  the  Gospel.     I  know  not  what 
denomination  I  shall  commence  preaching  among,  but  think, 
most  probably,   among  the  Methodists.      If  I  am  convinced 
that  among  this  people  I  shall  be  most  in  the  way  of  my  duty, 
with  them  I  shall  continue  ;  for  though  I  could  have  a  much 
better  living  with  almost  any  other  denomination,  yet  I  am 
determined  to   do  my  duty,   at  the  loss  of  all  things."     In 
another  letter,  in  which  he  alludes  to  Miss  Peck's  denomina- 
tional scruples  as  a  barrier  to  their  union,  he  says  :   "  I  should 
love  you  less  if  you  felt  differently.     You  must  certainly  act 
conscientiously.     Those  who  come  together  from  interest  or 
passion,  make  out  to  get  along,  I  know  not  how,  without  being 
united  in  principle.     But  we  must  act  diflerently.     My  friend 
may  differ  from  me  in  principle  and  in  form  ;  yet  if  his  heart 
is  right,  I  can  still  love  him.     I  can  give  the  right  hand  of 


366  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS, 

fellowship  to  my  Christian  neighbor.,  though  we  belong  to  dif- 
ferent Churches ;  but  I  wish  the  partner  of  my  bosom,  not 
only  to  worship  the  same  God  with  me,  but  to  kneel  at  the 
same  altar."  In  further  corresponding  with  this  lady,  he 
learned  that  she  had  three  prominent  objections  to  Methodist 
theology.  These  related  to  the  doctrines  of  final  perseverance, 
Christian  perfection,  and  human  depravity  ;  and  in  reply,  he 
says  :  "  I  must  frankly  tell  you,  that  with  my  present  views, 
if  I  am  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  I  must  preach  the  doctrines 
of  holiness  of  heart,  and  the  danger  of  falling  from  grace  prop- 
erly explained  and  understood." 

From  these  extracts,  it  will  be  seen  that  Mr.  Fisk  had  a 
number  of  inducements  of  a  worldly  and  selfish  character,  to 
incline  him  to  the  ministry  of  some  other  Church  than  that 
of  the  Methodists.  Besides,  a  college-bred  Methodist  minis- 
ter, was  a  thing  unknown  in  America,  since  the  days  of  Dr. 
Coke,  and  if  he  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  Methodist  preachers 
of  the  age,  he  must  expect  to  bear  his  share  of  reproach  on 
account  of  the  ignorance — so  called — of  the  Methodist  min- 
istry. 

After  weighing  these,  and  other  considerations,  in  his  own 
mind,  his  judgment  and  piety  led  him  to  make  the  necessary 
sacrifices,  and  devote  himself  to  the  work  of  a  Methodist  itin- 
erant preacher.  His  health  having  in  the  meantime  greatly 
improved,  he  began,  as  all  Methodist  preachers  do  at  their 
setting  out  in  the  ministry,  to  "exhort;"  that  is,  to  hold 
meetings  for  prayer  and  exhortations  ;  and  after  having  given 
suitable  evidence  during  a  few  months'  trial  as  an  exhorter, 
he  was,  on  the  14th  of  March,  1818,  licensed  to  preach  as  a 
local  preacher.  His  first  sermon  was  delivered  in  the  town 
where  he  had  been  reared,  and  his  text  on  that  occasion  was, 
"  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things?"  and  the  congregation 
were  greatly  surprised  at  the  clear  and  important  views  which 
he  presented.     With  his  splendid  qualifications  as  a  pulpit 


WILLBUR   FISK.  367 

orator,  Mr.  Fisk  rose  still  higher  in  the  estimation  of  the  pub- 
lic, and  as  a  matter  Avhich  might  have  heen  expected  under 
the  circumstances,  received  from  time  to  time  many  flattering 
encomiums  upon  his  talents  and  success.  His  parents,  al- 
though highly  gratified,  were  fearful  of  the  result  which  so 
much  praise  would  have  on  the  mind  of  their  son.  Hence 
his  good  old  mother,  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  self-adula- 
tion as  much  as  possible,  would  name  some  defect  in  his  dis- 
courses ;  and  so  repeatedly  and  incessantly  did  she  do  so,  that 
there  was  positive  danger  of  her  believing  that  her  Willbur, 
after  all,  was  but  a  slender  preacher.  This  danger,  however, 
was  averted  by  the  following  amusing  circumstance.  One 
day  she  received  a  letter  from  one  of  her  sisters,  informing  her 
that  a  son  of  the  latter  had  become  a  pi'eacher,  and  express- 
ing a  wish  that  Mrs.  Fisk  could  hear  him,  as  she  thought  he 
was  an  excellent  preacher.  When  Mrs.  Fisk  had  read  this 
paragraph,  she  placed  the  letter  in  her  lap,  and  while  she 
raised  her  spectacles  from  her  eyes,  she  exclaimed  :   "  Sister 

B has  never  heard  my  son  1" 

Soon  after  having  received  license  to  preach,  Mr.  Fisk  was 
employed  by  the  presiding  elder  to  labor  on  Craftsbury  circuit, 
a  place  about  twenty-five  miles  from  home.  His  preaching' 
in  the  village  of  Craftsbury,  was  at  first  in  a  private  house, 
and  then  in  the  court-house.  While  here,  his  labors  were 
greatly  blessed  ;  so  much  so,  that  one  of  the  bigoted  disciples 
of  Calvin  was  led  to  exclaim  in  view  of  his  success  :  "  That 
Fisk  has  been  about  here,  and  has  undone  in  a  few  months, 
all  that  our  minister  has  done  in  twelve  years."  While  here, 
he  narrowly  escaped  death  by  the  hand  of  an  insane  person. 
A  lady,  at  whose  house  he  often  stayed,  was  subject  to  fre- 
quent fits  of  derangement.  During  one  of  these  fits,  she 
rushed  upon  him  with  a  large  sharp-pointed  knife  in  her 
hand,  and  tearing  open  his  vest,  she  placed  the  sharp  point 
to  his  breast,  exclaiming,  "  You  must  die.    You  talk  so  much 


368  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

of  heaven,  I  am  going  to  send  you  there  ;  for  you  are  too 
good  to  live."  Mr.  Fisk,  without  quailing,  looked  her  steadi- 
ly in  the  eye,  when,  after  pausing  for  a  moment,  she  removed 
the  knife  and  said,  "  You  are  fit  to  live,  or  die.  We  want 
sueh  men  on  earth,  so  1  will  let  you  live  a  little  longer." 

In  the  summer  of  1818,  Mr.  Fisk  joined  the  Annual  Con- 
ference, as  a  probationer,  and  was  sent  back  to  Craftsbury 
circuit,  where  he  endured  sufferings  of  various  kinds,  from 
the  rigor  of  the  climate,  and  his  necessary  exposure  to  all 
kinds  of  weather  ;  but  he  labored  for  God  and  for  souls,  and 
he  was  cheered  with  the  reflection  that  his  reward  was  in 
heaven.  At  the  New  England  Conference  of  1819,  Mr.  Fisk 
was  sent  to  Charlestown,  Mass.  This  appointment  was  a 
trying  one  to  him,  as  the  Society  was  small,  and  embarrassed 
with  debt ;  but  he  trusted  in  the  Lord,  and  his  labors  -were 
greatly  successful,  and  his  congregations  large  and  respectable. 
While  stationed  in  Charlestown,  he  attended  a  camp-meeting 
on  Cape  Cod,  where  he  experienced  the  blessing  of  "  perfect 
love,"  which  more  fully  prepared  him  for  the  work  of  the 
ministry. 

At  the  Conference  of  1820,  Mr.  Fisk  was  admitted  into 
full  connection  and  ordained  a  deacon,  and  by  the  appointing 
])ower  was  re-appointed  to  Charlestown  ;  and  during  the  sum- 
mer, he  attended  the  Commencement  of  Brown  University, 
and  took  his  degree  of  Master  of  Arts.  During  his  second 
year  in  Charlestown,  Mr.  Fisk  was  the  subject  of  bitter  per- 
secution, which  he  endured  with  hardiness,  as  a  good  soldier. 
He  also  suffered  much  from  his  old  complaint,  hemorrhage  of 
the  lungs,  which  so  entirely  prostrated  him,  that  his  physi- 
cians gave  him  up  ;  but  his  brethren  of  different  denomina- 
tions of  Christians  in  Charlestown  and  Boston,  believing  that 
"  the  prayer  of  faith  shall  save  the  sick,"  cried  mightily  to 
God  for  his  recovery,  and  the  disease  was  graciously  rebuked, 
BO  that  he  partially  recovered  his  health,  and  was  able  by 


WILLBUR    FISK.  369 

easy  stages  to  reach  his  father's  house  in  a  fe^s  ;-,jks,  where 
he  was  obliged  to  remain  partially  inactive,  mid  to  refrain 
from  preaching  altogether,  for  more  than  a  year.  He  spent 
much  of  his  time,  however,  in  riding  on  horseback,  and  visit- 
ing different  places,  and  in  holding  correspondence  with  his 
long  list  of  friends. 

At  the  New  England  Conference  of  1822,  Mr.  Fisk  was 
ordained  elder,  and  placed  upon  the  superannuated  list,  but 
was  requested  by  the  Conference,  as  far  as  his  health  would 
allow,  to  act  as  agent  for  the  Newmarket  Academy,  the  only 
Methodist  institution,  at  that  time,  in  New  England.  For 
the  purpose  of  ascertaining  whether  anything  could  be  done  to 
renovate  the  institution,  which  had  been  dragging  out  a  feehle 
existence  for  a  few  years  past,  he  visited  the  place  of  its  lo- 
cation, and  learning  from  its  leading  supporters  and  managers 
that  the  same  policy  was  designed  to  he  pursued  which  had 
kept  it  in  its  feeble  state,  he  declined  having  anything  to  do 
as  an  agent  for  the  institution.  In  a  conversation  with  Miss 
Peck,  subsequently,  in  relation  to  the  matter,  he  said,  "  But 
if  the  Lord  spare  my  life,  and  will  give  me  influence,  with 
his  blessing,  the  Methodist  Church  shall  not  want  academies 
nor  colleges."  After  making  this  remark,  and  having  left  the 
room,  a  gentleman  who  heard  the  remark,  said,  "  Mr.  Fisk, 
if  he  live,  will  be  a  president  or  a  bishop  ;  and  with  his  hu- 
mility, how  bright  will  be  his  example  I" 

During  his  excursions  this  year,  taken  for  the  benefit  of  his 
health,  he  visited  his  relatives  in  Brattleborough,  his  native 
town,  and  was  invited  to  preach  on  the  Sabbath  in  the  Con- 
gregational Church.  As  yet,  no  Methodists  had  preached  in 
town,  but  the  inhabitants  with  one  consent  considered  Meth- 
odism as  heretical  in  the  extreme.  Mr.  Fisk  preached  with 
his  usual  felicity  of  manner,  and  as  few  of  the  congregation 
knew  the  stranger,  or  that  he  was  a  Methodist  preacher,  his 
sermon  was  greatly  admired.     One  old  lady  who  thought  the 

24 


3V0  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

"doctrines"  of  Methodism  to  be  those  "of  devils,"  was  par 
ticularly  loud  in.  her  expressions  of  admiration,  when  her  son 
informed  her  of  her  mistake,  by  saying,  "  Well,  mother,  you 
have  heard  a  Methodist  preacher  at  last,  and  yoit  have  lived 
tlM'ough  it.'"  The  old  lady  was  thunderstruck  !  but  had  been 
too  loud  in  her  professions  of  admiration,  to  retract  anything 
she  had  said  in  favor  of  the  sermon.  A  gentleman  who  was 
similarly  caught,  backed  out  by  saying,  "Well,  well,  well,  if 
that  be  Methodism,  I  wish  we  had  more  of  it." 

Toward  the  close  of  the  Conference  year,  Mr.  Fisk  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Peck,  after  a  courtship  of  seven 
years.  The  union  of  these  two  highly  gifted  and  intelligent 
persons,  was  followed  by  the  most  happy  consequences  to  both 
parties.  At  the  session  of  the  Conference,  Mr.  Fisk  was  pres- 
ent, and  took  an  effective  relation.  When  the  subject  of 
the  Newmarket  Academy  came  up  for  consideration,  the  pre- 
siding bishop  said  to  Mr.  Fisk,  "  Why  have  you  not  solicited 
funds  for  the  academy  V  "  Because,  sir,  my  conscience  would 
not  let  me,"  replied  Mr.  Fisk.  "  Must  the  Conference  then 
be  governed  by  your  conscience  ?"  inquired  the  bishop.  "  No, 
sir,"  rejoined  Mr.  Fisk,  "  I  do  not  wish  the  Conference  to  be 
governed  by  my  conscience,  but  I  must  bo  ;  neither  do  1  wish 
to  control  the  Conference  in  any  way  ;  but  if  after  examining 
the  school  for  themselves,-  the  Conference  see  fit  to  place  it  on 
a  different  footing,  it  shall  have  my  utmost  exertion." 

At  the  preceding  Conference,  Mr.  Fisk  had  been  requested 
to  preach  a  sermon  on  the  doctrine  of  Future  Punishment, 
which  request  he  complied  with  at  the  present  session.  Such 
was  the  estimation  in  which  this  discourse  was  held,  that  the 
students  of  Brown  University,  many  of  whom  were  present^ 
— the  Conference  session  being  held  in  Providence — requested 
a  copy  for  publication.  The  Conference  also  passed  a  resolu 
tion  unanimously  requesting  its  publication,  and  it  has  since 
passed  through  nuiueroua  editions  in  this  country  and  in  Eng- 


•WILLCUR    FISK.  371 

land,  and  is  considered  an  unanswerable  argument  against 
the  no-future-punishment  theory. 

At  this  Conference,  Mr.  Fisk  was  appointed  presiding  elder 
of  the  Vermont  district,  which  comprised  at  that  time  the 
whole  of  Vermont,  east  of  the  Green  Mountains.  He  went 
to  his  field  of  labor  in  the  spirit  of  his  divine  Master,  and 
faithfully  and  successfully  discharged  the  duties  of  his  office, 
and  in  a  short  time  the  flame  of  revival  began  to  burn  in 
various  parts  of  his  extensive  district.  In  the  fall  of  this  year, 
he  brought  his  lady  home  to  his  father's  house,  and  on  their 
journey  homeward,  they  stopped  after  nightfall  at  a  comfort- 
able-looking farm-house,  in  the  State  of  New  Hampshire,  and 
Mr.  Fisk  inquired  of  the  old  lady  who  opened  the  door,  if  they 
would  entertain  strangers.  "  Yes,"  replied  she,  "if  you  have 
any  religion."  "  If  we  have  not,"  said  Mr.  Fisk,  "perhaps 
you  can  help  us  to  some."  "  0,  then,  come  in,  come  in,  with 
all  my  heart,"  replied  the  hospitable  dame.  In  the  morning 
before  parting,  Mr.  Fisk  led  the  devotions  of  the  family,  and 
when  her  guests  left,  the  lady  of  the  house  followed  them  to 
the  door  exclaiming,  "  God  bless  thee,  thou  blessed  of  the 
Lord,  continue  faithful,  and  God  will  hold  thee  in  his  right 
hand." 

Mr.  Fisk  was  a  delegate  to  the  General  Conference  of 
1824,  which  assembled  in  Baltimore,  but  such  was  the  tire- 
some and  perplexing  nature  of  the  business,  which  occupied 
his  attention  while  here,  that  in  writing  to  a  friend  in  Ver- 
mont (Hon.  B.  F.  Deming),  he  says,  "  I  am  tired  oithis  busi- 
ness, and  long  to  be  back  again  to  my  work.  A  camp-meet- 
ing is  a  Heaven  compared  with  a  General  Conference."  Such 
was  his  ardor  of  mind  and  desire  to  be  constantly  employed 
in  the  work  of  winning  souls  to  Christ. 

During  the  two  succeeding  years  of  1824  and  1825,  Mr. 
Fisk  was  re-appointed  presiding  elder  of  Vermont  district,  and 
while  here  it  fell  to  his  lot,  by  the  choice  of  his  fellow-citizens 


372  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

in  Randolph,  where  he  now  resided,  to  welcome  the  celebra- 
ted General  Lafayette — who  was  then  making  his  northern 
tour — to  the  hospitalities  of  the  village,  which  he  did  in  a 
short,  but  appropriate  speech,  which  drew  tears  from  the  eyes 
of  the  old  veteran,  especially  when  Mr.  Fisk  in  the  most 
beautiful  language  alluded  to  the  "  glorious  triumph  of  the 
Church  of  the  First-born  in  Heaven." 

But  we  must  now  introduce  Mr.  Fisk  to  the  reader  in  his 
connection  with  the  literary  institvitions  of  the  Church.  Thus 
far,  since  the  calamities  which  befell  the  Cokesbury  College 
by  its  repeated  destruction  by  fire,  but  little  had  been  done  to 
establish  literary  institutions  under  the  auspices  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  As  before  stated,  an  academy  had 
been  opened  at  Newmarket,  New  Hampshire,  but  such  was 
its  state,  that  the  noble-minded  Fisk  refused  to  have  anything 
to  do  with  it,  unless  means  were  taken  to  establish  it  on  a 
difierent  foundation.  Accordingly,  a  committee  consisting  of 
Rev.  Messrs.  Hedding,  Lindsey,  and  Fisk,  was  appointed  at 
the  New  England  Conference  of  1823,  to  examine  into  its 
state,  and  adopt  such  measures  in  reference  to  it,  as  they  judg- 
ed most  proper.  About  this  time  the  good  people  of  Wilbra- 
ham,  Mass.,  offi^red  the  Committee  to  erect  suitable  buildings 
for  the  purpose  of  an  academy,  and  pledged  themselves  to 
sustain  it,  if  located  at  that  place.  The  offer  was  accepted, 
and  one  gentleman  of  Boston,  Amos  Binney,  Esq.,  generously 
gave  ten  thousand  dollars  for  the  object. — A  charter  was  ob- 
tained from  the  legislature  of  Massachusetts,  and  in  November 
of  1825,  the  institution  was  opened  by  an  address  from  Mr. 
Fisk,  who  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  trustees,  was  elected 
principal  of  the  academy.  As  he  was  still  presiding  elder  on 
Vermont  district,  it  was  not  until  May,  1826,  that  he  remov- 
ed to  Wilbraham  and  commenced  the  active  duties  of  princi- 
pal. The  institution  opened  with  only  seven  scholars,  the 
number,  however,  increased  to  thirty  during  the  term,  and 


WILLBUR   FISK.  373 

the  next  year,  seventy- five  were  in  attendance,  wnile  a  few 
years  afterwards,  several  hundreds  were  found  frequenting  its 
halls.  The  institution  shared  during  the  year  1826,  in  a  glo- 
rious revival  of  religion,  in  which  many  of  the  students  were 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  Such 
revivals  were  frequent  during  Mr.  Fisk's  connection  with  the 
institution,  and  resulted  in  the  conversion  of  many  precious 
souls. 

At  the  session  of  the  legislature  of  Vermont  in  1825,  Mr. 
Fisk  was  selected  to  preach  the  Election  sermon  at  its  next 
session,  which  he  did  on  the  12th  of  October,  1826.  The 
sermon,  as  is  usual,  was  published  by  the  act  of  the  legisla- 
ture, and  although  a  larger  number  of  copies  than  usual  were 
ordered  to  be  printed,  a  second  edition  was  speedily  called 
for.  After  the  delivery  of  the  sermon,  Mr.  Fisk  was  elected 
Chaplain  to  the  legislature,  a  post  which  he  filled  with  dis- 
tinguished honor  and  acceptability,  and  when  the  legislature 
adjourned  he  returned  to  his  duties  at  Wilbraham. 

Mr.  Fisk  was  chosen  delegate  to  the  General  Conference 
of  1828,  which  assembled  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  On  his  way 
thither,  he  visited  that  wonder  of  nature,  the  falls  of  Niagara. 
Mr.  Fisk  gazed  upon  the  stupendous  scene,  with  feelings  of  awe 
and  devotion.  "  It  seemed  to  me,"  he  subsequently  remark- 
ed, "  like  an  image  of  eternity,  and  in  its  rolling,  tumbling, 
foaming,  sparkling  billows,  its  resistless  currents,  its  eddying 
whirlpools,  its  all-engulfing,  all-overwhelming  torrents,  it 
appeared  a  striking  image  of  those  fiery  steeps,  and  rolling 
billows,  and  noisy  caverns,  where  the  spirits  of  the  lost  are 
tossed  in  ceaseless  terror."  A  utilitarian  gentleman,  who 
formed  one  of  the  company,  taking  another  view  of  the  sub- 
ject, exclaimed,  "  I  suppose,  if  all  the  worlds  that  compose 
this  vast  universe,  were  so  united  by  cogs,  as  to  turn  each 
other,  here  is  water-power  enough  to  move  the  whole  I" 
What  an  idea  I     At  the  opening  of  the  Conference,  Mr.  Fisk 


374  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    IIIKISTERS. 

was  appointed  Chairman  of  the  committee  on  Education.  He 
prepared  a  very  able  report  on  the  subject,  and  recommended 
the  establishment  of  several  institutions  of  a  collegiate  char- 
acter. The  report  and  resolutions  were  adopted,  and  their 
publication  served  to  give  additional  impulse  to  the  cause  of 
education  in  the  Methodist  Church.  On  the  adjournment 
of  the  Conference,  he  returned  to  V/ilbraham,  and  resumed 
his  duties  as  principal. 

An  amusing  incident  occurred  in  the  latter  part  of  1828, 
arising  out  of  his  connection  Avith  the  academy,  which  is 
worth  relating.  A  clergyman  in  a  town  adjoining  Wilbra- 
ham,  sent  a  letter  to  Mr.  Fisk,  in  which  he  bitterly  com 
plained  that  a  certain  student  in  the  academy — a  licensed 
exhorter — had  been  endeavoring  to  proselyte  two  young  per- 
sons of  his  charge  ;  and  assigns  as  a  reason  for  addressing  Mr. 
Fisk  on  the  subject,  the  supposition  that  the  students  were 
sent  out  to  the  villages  round  about,  at  the  discretion,  and 
under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Fisk.  To  this  rather  singular  com- 
plaint from  such  a  respectable  source,  Mr.  Fisk  replied,  that 
he  was  both  pained  and  grieved  at  such  proceedings  on  the 
pait  of  the  young  student,  and  that  he  had  preferred  charges 
against  such  student  for  his  conduct,  and  stating  that  he 
should  expect  the  clergyman  to  appear  at  the  time  and  place 
of  trial,  and  substantiate'  the  charge  preferred.  This  course 
of  procedure  was  entirely  unexpected  by  the  latter,  who  forth- 
with sent  a  letter  of  apology,  and  stating  that  he  had  been  a 
trifle  too  positive,  that  the  facts  were  only  reported  to  him  by 
others,  kc.  &c.,  and  informing  Mr.  Fisk  that  it  would  be 
"quite  inconvenient  to  attend."  In  this  manner  the  clergy- 
man was  glad  to  back  out  of  the  dilemma,  in  which  he  found 
himself  so  unexpectedly,  yet  somewhat  ceremoniously  placed. 
In  January,  1829,  Mr.  Fisk  v/as  chosen  to  preach  the 
"Election  Sermon,"  before  the  Senate  of  Massachusetts.  He 
also  received  many  flattering  proposals  for  honorable  situa- 


WILLBUR   FISK.  375 

tions  in  difFereut  parts  of  the  country.  He  was  strongly  so- 
licited to  allow  himself  to  be  a  candidate  for  the  presidency 
of  the  Vermont  University,  as  also  to  become  agent  of  the 
American  Bible  Society.  In  1829,  he  was  appointed  agent 
of  the  Society  for  the  Observance  of  the  Sabbath,  with  a 
salary  of  one  thousand  doUai-s  per  annum,  and  travelling  ex- 
penses. He  was  also,  during  the  same  year,  elected  president 
of  La  Grange  College,  Ala.,  and  about  the  same  time,  was 
elected  to  a  professorship  in  the  University  of  Alabama,  with 
a  salary  of  two  thousand  dollars.  He  was  also  at  the  pre- 
ceding Canada  Conference,  elected  bishop  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  Canada.  But  to  all  these  tempting 
offers,  Mr.  Fisk  was  obliged  to  return  answers  of  declinature, 
not  because  he  thought  himself  insufficient  to  fill  the  offices 
alluded  to,  nor  because  he  could  not  render  himself  useful,  as 
well  as  honorable,  in  those  situations,  but  because  to  accept, 
to  use  his  own  words,  "  Would  build  up  Willbur  Fisk,  but  it 
would  not  build  up  Methodism."  The  fact  is,  his  interests 
had  now  become  so  closely  identified  with  the  educational  in- 
terests of  New  England  Methodism,  that  to  forsake  his  pres- 
ent situation,  he  felt  would  be  doing  the  Church  an  injury, 
while  he  well  knew  that  to  retain  the  same,  it  must  be  at  the 
sacrifice  of  ease,  honor,  and  emoluments ;  for  it  should  be  re- 
membered, that  at  the  time  of  his  connection  with  the  Wil- 
braham  Academy,  he  had  only  the  scanty  support  of  a  Metho- 
dist travelling  preacher,  a  salary  not  greater  than  that  secured 
by  many  a  common  laborer,  while  at  the  same  time  he  was 
doing  the  work  of  three  men  !  Such  was  Willbur  Fisk,  in 
his  early  connection  with  the  literary  institutions  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  such  were  the  sacrifices 
which  he  made  to  secure  their  prosperity. 

In  1829,  Mr.  Fisk  received  from  Augusta  College,  in  Ken- 
tucky, the  title  of  D.D.  At  first  he  resolved  not  to  accept  it, 
but  before  he  could  make   a  formal  refusal  of  the  honor,  his 


376  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

friends  having  immediately  and  so  generalljf  applied  tha  title 
to  him,  it  was  beyond  his  power  to  prevent  its  future  appli- 
cation. 

About  this  period,  many  noble  minds  in  the  nation  wars 
becoming  aroused  to  the  ravages  of  intemperance,  and  its 
consequent  evils.  Societies  had  been  organized  in  different 
places  for  the  promotion  of  temperance.  Mr.,  now  Dr.  Fisk, 
entered  heart  and  soul  into  the  work  of  reform,  and  although 
many  of  his  brethren  in  the  Church  and  the  ministry,  stood 
aloof  from  the  enterprise,  on  the  ground  that  the  Chiu-ch  was 
all  the  temperance  society  that  was  necessary,  and  although 
the  Christian  Advocate  and  Journal,  the  official  organ  of  the 
Church,  took  a  decided  stand  against  him,  yet  he  continued 
to  battle  for  the  good  cause  ;  and  perhaps  it  is  not  saying  too 
much,  to  ascribe  to  him  the  honor  of  having  elevated  the 
cause  to  its  present  high  and  commanding  position  in  the 
Church,  more  than  any  other  single  person  ever  connected 
with  it. 

Through  the  persevering  efforts  of  Dr.  Fisk  and  others,  the 
cause  of  education  in  the  Methodist  Church  was  swiftly  on 
the  advance.  Already  had  two  Methodist  Colleges  been  es- 
tablished, one  in  Kentucky,  and  another  in  Pennsylvania.  In 
1829,  the  New  York  Conference  took  measures  to  establish  a 
college  of  high  grade,  somewhere  in  the  north.  The  New 
England  Conference  was  invited  to  join  in  the  enterprise,  and 
after  having  received  several  flattering  offers  from  different 
localities,  the  joint  committee  of  these  two  Conferences  se- 
lected Middletown,  Conn.,  as  the  site  for  the  establishment  of 
the  Wesleyan  University,  the  inhabitants  of  that  place  hav- 
ing generously  presented  the  committee  wdth  thirty  thousand 
dollars  worth  of  property,  besides  an  additional  local  subscrip- 
tion of  eighteen  thousand  dollars. 

In  1830,  Dr.  Fisk  was  elected  the  first  president  of  tho 
Wesleyan  University,  a  situation  which  he  filled  with  great 


WILLBUR    FISK.  Sll 

honor  to  himself  and  the  Church,  as  long  as  he  lived.  As  the 
institution  did  not  open  for  the  reception  of  students  until  Sep- 
tember, 1831,  Dr.  Fisk  spent  a  portion  of  his  time,  in  the 
meanwhile,  in  soliciting  funds  for  the  University,  and  in 
awaking  a  general  interest  in  its  favor,  both  among  preachers 
and  people.  His  inaugural  address  delivered  at  the  opening, 
was  a  splendid  production,  and  so  greatly  was  it  admired  by 
some  of  the  leading  men  in  the  nation,  that  it  at  once  raised 
the  literary  character  of  the  institution  ;  and  many  young 
gentlemen  sought  admission  to  its  classic  halls,  knowing  that 
under  the  presidency  of  such  a  man  as  Fisk,  the  University 
must  flourish  and  become  justly  popular. 

In  1832,  Dr.  Fisk  was  again  a  member  of  the  General 
Conference,  and  during  its  session  he  served  as  chairman  of 
several  important  committees,  and  bore  a  conspicuous  part  in 
the  numerous  important  discussions  which  arose  in  that  rev- 
erend and  venerable  body.  After  his  return  to  Middletown, 
he  devoted  himself  as  usual,  to  the  interests  of  the  University, 
but  not  to  these  alone,  for  we  find  him  zealously  engaged  in  the 
promotion  of  every  good  work,  and  especially  that  of  temper- 
ance, having  become  one  of  its  ablest  defenders,  and  one  of  its 
acknowledged  champions.  He  also  took  a  deep  interest  in  the 
cause  of  missions,  and  was,  in  fact,  one  of  the  originators  of  the 
Liberia  and  Oregon  missions  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

Dr.  Fisk  found  it  necessary  also,  about  these  times,  to  do 
battle  for  the  truth  in  opposition  to  the  various  phases  and 
dogmas  of  New  England  Calvinism.  He  had  some  time  pre- 
viously, at  the  request  of  certain  distinguished  civilians, 
preached  a  sermon  on  the  subject  of  predestination.  The 
sermon  being  published,  and  being  confessedly  an  able  refuta- 
tion of  the  doctrine  as  generally  held,  and  preached  by  Cal- 
vinistic  divines,  awakened  a  host  of  able  opponents  among  the 
doctors  of  divinity,  and  other  less-noted  ministers.     Hence,  for 


378  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

several  years,  in  pamphlets,  periodicals,  &c.,  the  controversy 
was  carried  on  with  spirit,  yet  with  Christian  courtesy,  so  far 
as  Dr.  Fisk  was  concerned,  and  various  publications  left  as  the 
result  of  this  controversy,  stamp  the  doctor  as  a  man  of  gigan- 
tic intellect,  and  superior  power  of  mind. 

In  1835,  the  great  abolitionist  excitement  began  to  rage 
with  intensity  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  al- 
though Dr.  Fisk,  from  the  beginning,  designed  to  have  little 
or  nothing  to  do  in  the  matter,  yet  he  was  by  force  of  circum- 
stances, drawn  into  the  heated  controversies  of  the  day,  on 
that  exciting  subject.  He  disapproved  strongly  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  2(Uraists,  as  they  were  called,  and  espoused  the 
conservative  side  of  the  question.  In  this  position  he  was  for- 
tunate enough  to  have  the  principal  leading  men  of  the 
Church  agree  with  him  in  his  views,  but  unfortunate  in 
having  a  large  majority  of  his  own  Conference — the  New 
England — opposed  to  his  particular  views  in  this  respect. 
However,  a  difierence  of  views  in  regard  to  the  best  means  to 
promote  the  abolition  of  slavery,  did  not  detract  from  the  gen- 
eral respect  and  esteem  entertained  for  him  by  his  brethren, 
as  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  at  the  very  height  of  the  anti- 
slavery  storm,  they  elected  him  in  1835,  to  a  seat  in  the  next 
General  Conference  ;  but  as  the  entire  delegation,  save  himself, 
were  obviously  elected  with  reference  to  their  views  on  this 
subject,  he  felt  himself  under  the  necessity  of  declining  the 
honor  conferred,  by  resigning  his  seat  in  the  General  Confer- 
ence. 

In  September,  1835",  he  received  the  degree  of  doctor  of 
divinity  from  his  Alma  Mater,  the  Brown  University,  an  hon- 
or, which  he  no  doubt  appreciated  more  than  the  one  from 
another  University  previously  bestowed,  because  of  his  former 
connection  with  the  first-named  institution. 

On  account  of  Dr.  Fisk's  numerous  labors,  his  health  be- 
came seriously  impaired,  and  in  the  fall  of  1835,  having  re- 


WILLBUR   FISK.  3/9 

ceivcd  a  commission  from  the  Joint  Board  of  the  Wcsleyan 
TIniversity,  to  visit  Europe  for  his  health,  and  the  advance- 
ment of  the  interests  of  the  institution,  he  set  sail  on  the  8th 
of  September,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Fisk,  and  a  young  gentle- 
man connected  with  the  University,  for  Liverpool,  where  they, 
in  due  season  arrived,  and  proceeding  from  thence  to  London, 
were  affectionately  received  by  the  Rev.  Richard  Reeve, 
President  of  the  British  Confevenoe.  Dr.  Fisk  and  party  re- 
mained in  London  until  November,  when  they  proceeded  to 
Paris,  where  he  formed  an  agreeable  acquaintance  with  many 
pious  friends.  From  Paris  they  proceeded  slowly  to  Rome, 
where  they  spent  the  Passion  Week,  and  witnessed  all  the 
absurdities  and  fooleries  of  the  Romish  Church.  Our  travel- 
lers remained  in  Italy  during  the  winter,  visiting  different 
places,  and  although  Dr.  Fisk  lay  dangerously  ill  for  awhile, 
yet  the  Lord  spared  his  valuable  life,  and  enabled  him  to  re- 
turn to  London  in  the  early  part  of  the  summer  of  183G. 

After  his  return  to  London,  he  found  an  agreeable  home  in 
the  family  of  Rev.  Dr.  Alder,  and  he  spent  a  number  of 
weeks  in  visiting  the  different  places  of  note,  and  also  the 
Universities  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge.  In  the  meanwhile 
the  American  General  Conference  had  held  its  session  in  May, 
1836,  in  Cincinnati,  0.,  and  had  appointed  Dr.  Fisk  as  their 
delegate  to  the  British  Wesleyan  Conference,  in  Birmingham, 
which  held  its  session  in  July  and  August  of  the  same  year. 
Dr.  Fisk  had  also,  at  the  same  General  Conference,  been 
elected  to  the  responsible  office  of  bishop,  thus  receiving  the 
highest  ecclesiastical  honors  which  the  Church  could  confer 
on  him,  during  his  absence  in  a  foreign  land. 

About  the  time  of  his  arrival  at  the  seat  of  the  Birming- 
ham Conference,  a  strong  effort  was  made,  by  some  of  the 
leading  English  abolitionists,  to  prejudice  the  public  mind 
against  him,  on  account  of  his  former  position  on  the  subject 
of  American  slaverj- ;  and  a  document  had  even  been  sent  to 


880  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

the  British  Conference,  signed  by  a  number  of  the  ultraists  in 
New  England,  which  was  well  adapted  to  create  a  prejudice 
against  the  doctor.  The  British  Conference,  however,  had  too 
much  magnanimity  to  pay  much  attention  to  these  outbursts 
of  party  feeling,  and  they  extended  to  the  doctor  a  very  cor- 
dial welcome  as  the  representative  of  American  Methodism. 

After  the  Conference  adjourned.  Dr.  Fisk  and  lady  visited 
the  principal  cities  of  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  and  in 
the  month  of  October  following,  took  passage  in  the  same 
ship  which  carried  them  to  Europe,  and  which  safely  landed 
them  in  New  York,  on  the  23d  of  November,  and  soon  after 
he  made  his  way  to  Middletown,  where  he  was  joyously  re- 
ceived by  the  faculty  and  students  of  the  University,  as  well 
as  by  the  citizens  generally.  It  may  be  proper  in  this  connec- 
tion to  state,  that  at  the  request  of  many  persons.  Dr.  Fisk 
published  an  account  of  his  travels  in  Europe,  a  work  which 
has  been  well  received,  and  generally  appreciated. 

After  Dr.  Fisk's  return  to  America,  he  was  strongly  solicit- 
ed, by  many  of  his  friends,  to  take  upon  him  the  office  and 
work  of  a  bishop,  by  consenting  to  be  consecrated  in  due  form  ; 
but  with  his  usual  modesty,  he  declined  the  honor,  assigning, 
among  other  reasons,  his  want  of  physical  strength  to  endure 
the  labors  of  the  oflice,  and  pleading  his  engagements  to  the 
University.  He  accordingly,  remained  at  the  head  of  that  in- 
stitution, using  all  his  powers  to  promote  its  prosperity,  until 
the  time  of  his  last  sickness. 

During  the  fall  and  winter  of  1636,  Dr.  Fisk's  health  began 
to  decline  rapidly,  so  that  it  became  evident  to  himself  and 
others,  that  his  days  on  earth  were  rapidly  numbering.  Yet 
during  his  long  and  painful  illness,  he  preserved  the  utmost 
composure  of  mind,  and  maintained  to  the  very  last,  his  anx- 
iety for  the  welfare  of  the  University.  When  informed  by 
the  council  of  physicians,  that  he  could  not  tarry  much  longer, 
he  said  to  the  senior  Professor,   "  There  arc  a  few  things  I 


■WILLBCR    FISK,  381 

should  like  to  see  done  before  taken  from  this  world  ;  but 
what  am  I,  that  I  should  have  a  hand  in  those  things  ? 
There  is  the  poor  University  ;  but  I  hope  you  will  stand  by 
it,  and  that  God  will  bless  it."  His  conversation  from  this 
time,  till  he  died,  was  heavenly  and  divine.  His  sick  cham- 
ber was  a  perfect  paradise.  The  next  to  the  last  sentence  he 
uttered,  was,  "Yes;  glorious  hope  I"  and  his  last  words  were 
addressed  to  his  afl'ectionate  wife,  who  took  his  hand  and  in- 
quired if  he  knew  her,  he  replying,  "  Yes,  love  ;  yes.' 

At  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  of  the  22d  day  of  February, 
"1839,  the  pure  and  lovely  spirit  of  the  dying  Fisk,  took  its  de- 
parture for  the  heaven  of  purity  and  loveliness ;  and  as  he 
was  lovely  in  life,  so  in  death,  his  appearance  was  singularly 
lovelj'',  too  much  so  seemingly,  to  be  consigned  to  the  coldness 
and  dampness  of  the  grave ;  but  the  grave  is  no  respecter  of 
persons,  and  the  earthly  remains  of  Willbur  Fisk  now  repose 
under  the  green  sod  of  the  college  cemetery  at  Middletown. 

Thus  lived  and  thus  died  Willbur  Fisk,  a  man  of  sterlinjr 
honor,  of  strict  integrity,  of  fervent  piety,  and  genuine  humili- 
ty. As  a  man  of  learning,  he  was  more  than  respectable  ; 
as  a  preacher,  he  had  few  equals,  and  still  fewer  superiors ; 
as  a  gentleman,  his  society  was  courted  by  the  intelligent  of 
every  land  ;  and  as  a  literary  teacher  and  president  of  a  col- 
lege, he  probably  had  not  a  superior.  His  personal  appear- 
ance was  much  in  his  favor.  With  a  beautifully  formed 
head,  and  a  pleasing  countenance  ;  a  spare,  but  erect  and 
well-proportioned  frame  ;  an  easy  manner  and  a  benign  dis- 
position, he  was  in  all  respects  the  perfect  model  of  a  Man, 
whether  physically,  mentally,  or  morally  considered.  But  he 
has  gone,  and  left  a  Church  in  tears  ;  yet  not  without  the 
hop,'  of  meeting  him  again  in  that  land  of  beauty  and  delight, 
"where  the  weary  are  at  rest." 

A  plain  monumental  shaft  marks  the  spot  where  Fisk  was 
laid,  bearing  on  one  side  the  simple  inscription, 


382  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

"WiLLBUR    FiSK,  S.T.D., 

First  President  of  the  Wedeyan  University.'" 

And  on  the  reverse  side,  the  simple  dates  of  his  birth  and 
death.  Lately,  however,  a  more  suitable  and  imposing  monu- 
ment has  been  erected  at  Wilbraham,  Mass.,  the  scene  of  his 
early  literary  labors.  A  splendid  building  has  been  erected 
near  the  site  of  the  old  Wilbraham  Academy,  at  an  expense 
of  some  ten  or  twelve  thousand  dollars,  bearing  on  its  noble 
front  the  impressive  inscription, 

"FiSK  Hall." 

This  edifice  is  designed  as  a  suitable  appendage  to  the 
buildings  of  Wilbraham  Academy,  and  was  solemnly  dedi- 
cated to  the  service  of  religion  and  education,  on  the  12th  of 
November,  1851.  The  portrait  of  the  deceased  Fisk,  adorned 
the  walls  of  the  audience-room,  and  what  added  greatly  to 
the  interest  of  the  occasion,  was  the  presence  of  his  intelligent 
and  pious  widow,  who  had  repaired  from  Middletown,  in 
company  of  some  of  the  professors  of  the  University,  to  the 
scene  of  her  early  days,  as  the  companion  of  her  deeply  la- 
mented husband.  Several  appropriate  addresses  were  de- 
livered on  the  occasion,  and  the  virtues  and  talents  of  the 
deceased  Fisk  were  descanted  upon  in  appropriate  terms. 
Let  "  Fisk  Hall"  stand,  therefore,  as  a  monument  not  only  in 
memory  of  him  whose  honored  name  it  bears,  but  as  a  feeble 
testimony  of  the  respect  with  which  his  name  is  still  remem- 
bered in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  ■ 


,^'€% 


REV.  STEPHEN  OLIN,  D.  D, 


CHAPTER   XYIII. 

STEPHEN    OLIN,   D.  D.   L.  L.  D. 

As  the  subject  of  this  chapter  has  but  recently  deceased, 
and  as  no  written  life  has  as  yet  appeared,  it  will  be  impos- 
sible for  the  writer  of  these  chapters  to  give  more  than  a 
meagre  account  of  this  truly  great,  and  in  some  respects,  won- 
derful man.  Yet  a  man  who  was  so  well  known,  and  so  de- 
servedly esteemed  as  was  President  Olin,  has  no  doubt  left 
a  memorial  of  his  greatenss  on  the  minds  and  hearts  of  all 
who  were  so  fortunate  as  to  cultivate  his  friendship,  or  to 
form  even  his  acquaintance.  It  is  the  latter  circumstance, 
which  impels  the  author  to  attempt  a  sketch  of  his  life  and 
character,  more  especially  as  the  subject  of  the  chapter  was 
in  a  most  emphatic  sense,  an  eminent  Methodist  minister,  as 
well  as  one  of  nature's  noblemen. 

Stephen  Olin  was  born  in  the  town  of  Leicester,  Addison 
County,  State  of  Vermont,  on  the  2d  day  of  March,  1797, 
His  father,  Judge  Olin,  was  a  man  of  great  respectability,  and 
filled  for  a  length  of  time,  the  office  of  Lieutenant  Governor 
of  the  State  of  Vermont.  Stephen,  at  a  very  early  age,  mani- 
fested a  love  for  study,  and  after  having  undergone  the  re- 
quisite training  in  the  district  school  of  his  native  town,  he 
was  in  due  time  initiated  into  the  higher  grade  of  schools,  so 
plentifully  found  in  his  native  State  ;  and  after  having  com- 
pleted his  academic  course  of  study,  he  entered  Middlebury 
College,  which  is  located  but  a  few  miles  from  the  place  of 


384  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

his  birth.  His  room-mate,  and  confidential  friend  during  his 
stay  at  College,  was  Mr.,  now  Hon.  Myron  Lawrence,  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. These  young  men  were  competitors  for  the  high- 
est graduating  honors,  and  so  equally  balanced  Avere  each  of 
their  claims,  that  the  faculty  of  the  institution  had  the  mat- 
ter under  deliberation  for  two  Aveeks,  after  having  disposed  of 
the  other  appointments  to  the  students  ;  and  in  the  final  ar- 
rangement of  parts,  both  were  allowed  to  share  in  the  laurels. 
The  valedictory,  however,  was  given  to  Olin,  but  being  con- 
fined to  his  room  by  sickness,  Mr.  Lawrence  had  the  honor  of 
its  delivery.  The  President  of  the  College,  however,  was  free 
to  acknowledge,  that  Olin  displayed  the  greatest  amount  of 
talent  of  any  young  man  who  had  ever  passed  before  him  in 
examination. 

After  having  graduated,  Mr.  Olin's  health  being  frail,  and 
his  resources  limited,  he  concluded  that  a  residence  at  the 
Suuth  would  be  a  benefit  to  both  the  one  and  the  other.  He 
accordingly  bade  farewell  to  his  native  hills,  and  went  to 
South  Carolina,  and  providentially  found  an  opening  for  the 
use  of  his  talents,  as  Principal  of  Tabernacle  Academy,  in  the 
Abbeville  District. 

Up  to  this  time,  Mr.  Olin  was  designed  by  his  father  for 
the  bar,  and  as  yet  he  had  made  no  profession  of  religion.  In- 
deed, so  far  as  he  had  any  definitely  formed  views  of  religion, 
he  was  inclined  to  skepticism  and  infidelity.  As  the  academy* 

*  The  following  relation,  Dr.  Olin,  while  he  was  in  Augusta,  Ga., 
gave  of  his  introduction  to  the  Tabernacle  Academy  :  "  On  leaving  col- 
lege, I  came  to  this  State  (Georgia),  with  the  view  of  teaching,  and 
expected  to  be  employed  ia  Putnam  County,  but  was  disappointed  in 
obtaining  a  situation  there.  I  was  stopping,  without  any  employment, 
at  a  public  house  in  this  city;  and  on  taking  up  a  paper,  my  eye  lit 
upon  an  advertisement  for  a  teacher,  in  Tabernacle  Academy,  in  Abbe- 
ville District,  South  Carolina,  which  lies  up  the  river  from  this  place. 
Guided  by  the  light  of  that  advertisement,  I  made  my  way  up  the 
river,  and  arrived  at  the  place  of  the  location  of  the  Academy  ;  a  place 


STEPHEN    OLIN.  385 

of  which  he  had  been  chosen  principal,  was  situated  in  the 
midst  of  a  Methodist  community,  and  was  patronized  by  that 
denomination  of  Christians,  he  was  required  by  the  standing 
rules  of  the  institution,  to  open  and  close  the  exercises  of  the 
school  each  day  with  prayer.  He  hesitated  at  this  point, 
doubting  in  his  own  mind  whether  he  could  make  an  intelligi- 
ble prayer.  After  having  tried  his  skill,  however  (probably 
in  secret  at  first),  he  consented  to  the  requirement  of  the  trus- 
tees ;  but  now  his  conscience  began  loudly  to  accuse  him  of 
mocking  God,  by  going  through  a  daily-  round  of  devotional 
exercises  in  the  presence  of  his  pupils,  which  in  his  case  was 
the  result  of  stipulation — of  bargain  with  the  managers  of  the 
school,  without  any  religious  convictions  or  feelings  on  his  part. 
As  a  sense  of  the  impropriety  of  this  course  pressed  more 
and  more  heavily  upon  him,  he  was  led  to  examine  in  the 
most  serious  manner,  the  evidences  of  Christianity.  This  se- 
rious investigation,  resulted  in  the  full  and  clear  conviction 
of  the  truth  of  revealed  religion,  and  of  the  importance  and 

which  I  found  to  my  astoniatiment,  to  be  almost  bare  of  houses,  it 
being  a  mere  country  place.  I  inquired  for  some  suitable  one  to  whom 
I  might  make  known  my  business,  and  was  directed  to  the  frame  of  a 
new  building,  partly  covered,  where  I  should  find  one  of  the  trustees 
of  the  Academy.  I  there  found  a  man  at  work  on  the  building,  with 
his  coat  off,  and  shirt  sleeves  rolled  up,  whom  I  found  to  be  the  trus- 
tee to  whom  I  was  directed — a  Rev.  Mr.  Glenn,  whom  I  afterwards 
found,  whatever  may  have  been  my  first  impressions,  to  be  an  excel- 
lent man.  On  inquiring  where  the  Academy  was,  I  was  pointed  to  a 
log-cabin,  as  being  the  bnilding ;  but  said  IMr.  Glenn :  '  Our  new 
Academy,'  meaning  the  building  then  in  process  of  erection,  '  will  be 
finished  this  fall.  You  will  teach  in  that  till  the  new  one  is  finished.' 
I  engaged  for  §700  per  year.  I  began  in  the  log-cabin.  The  door 
was  hung  on  a  couple  of  sticks,  and  the  windows  were  miserable ;  I 
drew  my  table  to  the  wall,  where  I  was  supplied  with  light  that  came 
in  between  two  logs.  In  a  few  weeks,  the  school  was  removed  to  the 
new  building.  I  had  a  large  number  of  scholars,  and  continued  iu 
that  Academy  three  years." 


386  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

necessity  of  conforming  to  her  requirements.  Upon  further 
examination,  he  discovered  himself  to  be  a  poor  lost  sinner  by- 
nature,  and  that  unless  he  found  deliverance  tlirough  the 
blood  of  the  Redeemer  of  mankind,  he  must  be  lost  eternally. 
He,  accordingly,  resolved  in  the  strengh  of  God,  to  become  a 
Christian,  at  the  hazard  of  the  loss  of  fame,  honor,  and  wealth. 
One  morning;  he  v/ent  out  to  a  spot  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
academy,  and  kneeling  down  before  his  Maker  and  Judge,  he 
sought  his  favor,  he  sued  for  pardon,  he  invoked  the  blessing 
of  a  clean  heart ;  and  in  answer  to  the  prayer  of  faith  that 
would  take  no  denial,  soon  he  found  peace  in  believing,  and 
Stephen  Olin  became  a  "new  creature,"  "old  things  having 
passed  away,  and  all  things  having  become  new."  The  sur- 
render of  his  soul  and  body  had  been  complete  ;  his  pride  of 
intellect  and  of  education  had  been  subdued  ;  his  powers  were 
forever  consecrated  to  the  service  of  Cod  ;  and  as  a  result,  his 
sense  of  the  divine  favor  was  clear,  and  his  conversion  con- 
vincing to  him.self  and  others. 

As  soon  as  Mr.  Olin  became  a  Christian,  he  saw  the  im- 
portance of  openly  professing  his  faith  in  Christ,  and  as  the 
only  consistent  way  for  him  to  do  so,  v/as  to  identify  himself 
with  the  visible  body  of  Christ,  he  soon  united  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  as  a  probationer, — a  step  which  all 
whether  learned,  or  unlearned,  rich  or  poor,  must  take  before 
they  can  gain  admission  to  membership  in  the  Methodist 
Church.  After  a  probation  of  six  months,  Mr.  Olin  was  re- 
ceived into  full  communion,  having-  given  evidence  in  the 
meantime,  of  his  conversion  and  upright  walk.  Shortly  after 
his  connection  with  the  Church,  he  felt  that  he  was  called 
of  God  to  preach  the  Gospel.  Among  his  friends  in  Abbeville 
who  took  a  deep  interest  iir  his  spiritual  welfare,  was  the  late 
Rev.  James  E.  Glenn,  at  that  time  the  stationed  minister  in 
the  place,  and  a  man  of  some  celebrity  as  a  preacher,  Avho 
perceiving  in  young  Olin  the  elements  of  future  greatness,  at 


STEPHEN    OLIN  387 

once  encouraged  him  to  make  a  proper  use  of  his  talents  as  a 
public  speaker,  and  for  the  purpose  of  affording  him  an  oppor- 
tunity for  so  doing,  frequently  took  him  with  him,  to  his 
preaching  appointments  on  the  Sabbath,  where  he  would  fol- 
low the  preacher  with  an  exhortation  to  the  congregation,  and 
then  close  the  exercises  by  singing  and  pi-ayer.  Soon  the  ex- 
hortations of  Mr.  Olin,  became  the  most  interesting  part  of 
the  services,  so  that  the  preacher  was  completely  eclipsed  by 
the  glowing,  burning  eloquence  of  the  exliorter. 

As  soon  as  his  engagements  with  the  trustees  of  the  acad- 
emy, would  allow — he,  having  in  the  meantime,  obtained  li- 
cense to  preach — he  offered  himself,  by  the  persuasions  of  his 
friends,  to  the  South  Carolina  Annual  Conference  of  182J,  as 
a  Metliodist  travelling  preacher,  and  was  received,  and  sta- 
tioned in  the  city  of  Charleston,  S.  C.  His  first  sermon  in 
that  city  was  delivered  while  the  Conference  was  still  in  ses- 
sion, and  in  the  presence  of  most  of  the  preachers.  His  sub- 
ject was  the  conversion  of  St.  Paul, — a  most  appropriate  one 
for  the  occasion. — One  who  heard  him  at  that  time,  says  in 
reference  to  the  sermon  : — 

"  It  was  night,  and  at  the  old  Trinity  Church.  He  rose  in 
the  pulpit,  tall  and  ungraceful ;  went  through  the  introduc- 
tory exercises,  particularly  the  prayer,  with  a  simplicity  of 
manner,  and  an  earnestness  of  tone  and  style  of  supplication, 
very  different  from  the  ordinary  style  of  such  a  service  ;  read 
out  his  text,  closed  the  Bible  and  turned  it  round  ;  laid  his 
hands  upon  its  corners,  and  began  preaching.  He  had  no  di- 
visions in  his  sermon,  and  yet  it  was  the  very  soul  of  method, 
so  clear  that  you  saw  through  all  its  connections  at  a  glance, 
as  he  went  along. — He  struck  at  once  into  an  original  track 
of  thought — profound,  searching,  brilliant,  chaining  the  atten- 
tion. His  sea-line  took  all  the  soundings  of  the  human  heart ; 
his  analysis  was  master  of  the  deepest  intricacies  of  human 
motive  and  passion  ;  his  imagination  soared  into  the  heaven 


388  LIVES  or  eminent  ministers. 

of  invention ;  his  action  at  going  off,  awkward,  and  his  long 
arms  thrown  about  without  the  slightest  reference  to  rhetor- 
ical canons,  presently  seemed  the  fittest  in  the  world  to  ac- 
company an  intellectual  handling  of  the  subject,  perfectly  sui 
generis,  the  like  of  which  had  never  before  been  known.  Soon 
his  mind  was  glowing  at  a  white  heat ;  the  mass  of  thought 
ran  like  molten  gold,  poured  from  inexhaustible  sources ;  and 
his  intellect  seemed  to  have  a  range  wide  as  the  compass  of 
heaven  and  earth.  He  commenced  preaching  at  seven  o'clock, 
and  the  bells  of  the  city  were  ringing  for  nine  as  he  closed  ; 
and  there  we  were  utterly  unconscious  that  even  twenty 
minutes  had  elapsed,  all  tremulous  with  excitement ;  the  tall, 
awkward  man,  with  his  singular  gesticulations,  unique  man- 
ner, everything — literally  everything — lost  sight  of,  forgotten, 
in  the  grand,  glorious,  majestic  truths  of  the  gospel,  which 
flashed  like  chain-lightning  around  that  old,  high,  ungainly 
pulpit,  for  the  nonce  a  throne  of  thunders." 

The  description  thus  given  of  Mr.  Olin's  first  sermon,  by 
the  graphic  pen  of  Rev.  Dr.  Wightman,  of  South  Carolina, 
throws  considerable  light  upon  his  early  efforts  in  the  pulpit, 
and  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  same  writer  observes,  that, 
"  Never  in  the  memory  of  the  oldest  Methodists,  had  so  pow- 
erful a  preacher  burst  with  so  sudden  a  splendor,  and  tremen- 
dous an  effect  upon  the  Church." 

Mr.  Olin  remained  in  Charleston  but  six  months,  when  he 
was  compelled  on  the  approach  of  hot  weather,  such  was  his 
state  of  health,  to  seek  a  few  months'  relaxation,  in  a  more 
northern  clime.  He  returned,  hov\'ever,  to  Charleston  on  the 
setting  in  of  winter,  and  at  the  next  session  of  the  Conference, 
was  re-appointed  to  the  same  field  of  labor,  with  the  hope 
that  if  his  health  Avas  not  sufficient  to  endure  the  labors  of 
the  pulpit,  he  might  be  able  to  edit  a  religious  paper — the 
Wesleyan  Journal, — which  had  been  projected,  and  the  pros- 
pectus drawn,  up  by  Mr.  Olin's  hand  had  been  issued, — but 


STEPHEN    OLIN.  389 

these  hopes  were  not  realized,  as  before  the  time  of  publica- 
tion had  arrived,  he  was  again  compelled  to  leave  the  city. 
But  although  disappointed  in  becoming  the  editor  of  the  Jour- 
nal, he  furnished  from  time  to  time  some  very  able  papers  for 
the  same,  which  were  greatly  admired. 

In  182G,  Mr.  Olin  having  passed  through  his  two  years, 
probationary  course,  preparatory  to  his  admission  to  the  Con- 
ference, was,  notwithstanding  his  feeble  health,  received  into 
full  connection,  and  ordained  deacon,  but  was  left  without  an 
appointment.  The  next  year  he  sustained  a  supernumerary 
relation  to  the  Conference,  and  was  stationed  in  Athens,  Ga., 
during  which  time  he  endeavored  to  render  himself  as  useful 
as  his  health  and  strength  would  allow  ;  but  at  last  despairing 
of  ever  being  able  to  do  efiective  labor  as  a  travelling  minis- 
ter, he  located  in  1828,  much  against  his  own  inclination, 
and  that  of  the  Conference.  Shortly  after  his  location,  he 
became  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Bostwick  of  Milledgeville, 
Ga.,  a  young  lady  of  ardent  piety,  of  lovely  appearance,  and 
of  some  wealth.  He  re-entered  the  travelling  connection  in 
1832,  by  joining  the  Georgia  Conference. 

In  the  year  1830,  Mr.  Olin  was  elected  Professor  of  English 
Literature  in  the  University  of  Georgia,  although  his  health 
still  continued  very  poor,  and  he  was  barely  able  to  attend  to 
the  daily  recitations  of  his  stvidcnts.  His  popularity  as  a 
teacher  was  so  great,  that  during  the  year  1833,  he  was  elect- 
ed President  of  Randolph  Macon  College,  Virginia,  and  in 
the  following  year,  he  entered  upon  the  responsible  duties  of 
his  presidency ;  and  although  his  fame  had  preceded  him  in 
taking  charge  of  the  institution,  yet  he  more  than  met  the 
expectation  of  his  warmest  admirers.  In  the  spring  of  1837, 
his  health  again  failed,  and  in  company  with  his  beloved  Avife 
he  set  sail  from  America,  for  an  extensive  tour  in  Europe 
and  Asia. 

Having  arrived  at  Paris,  by  way  of  Havre,  he  remained 


390  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERa. 

upward  of  a  year  in  that  city  ;  and  while  there,  the  late  cele- 
brated Dr.  Chalmers,  of  Scotland,  visited  the  place,  and  Mr., 
now  Dr.  Olin,  although  in  rather  a  precarious  state  of  health, 
could  not  deny  himself  the  privilege  of  hearing  that  great  man 
preach,  especially,  as  the  two  men  were,  in  fact,  very  much 
alike  in  many  particulars,  as  it  relates  to  physical  appearance 
and  zeal  in  the  pulpit.  Although  cautioned  against  making 
the  attempt,  he  ventured,  and  such  was  the  efiect  of  the  ser- 
mon upon  his  exceedingly  nervous  system,  that  he  immediate- 
ly took  to  his  bed,  and  had  a  severe  illness  of  six  weeks'  con- 
tinuance, which  all  but  carried  him  to  the  grave.  Through 
the  good  providence  of  God,  however,  his  health  was  so  far 
restored,  that  he  ventured  to  make  a  tour  of  England,  Bel- 
gium, and  Italy.  While  in  the  latter  country,  he  had  the 
misfortune  to  lose  his  beloved  M'ife,*  an  affliction  doubly 
severe,  as  he  was  thus  left  alone  in  a  land  of  strangers.  After 
spending  three  months  in  Rome,  he  turned  his  face  to  the 
East.  He  has  left  two  volumes  of  "  Travels  in  the  East"  of 
surpassing  interest,  and  although  it  might  be  pleasant  to  the 
reader  to  quote  largely  from  his  work,  our  limits  will  only  al- 
low us  to  trace  his  course  from  one  place  to  another,  and  refer 
to  a  few  interesting  incidents  occurring  during  his  travels. 

Dr.  Olin  sailed  from  Athens  for  Alexandria,  in  Egypt,  on 
the  19th  day  of  December,  1839,  on  board  the  French  war- 
steamer  Lycurgus,  and  after  a  pleasant  voyage  of  about  a 
week,  he  found  himself  in  the  city  of  the  Ptolemies.     "  We 

*  Mrs.  Olin  died  in  the  south  of  Italy,  being  seized  with  a  wasting 
disease,  in  the  end  of  March,  and  which  proved  fatal  on  the  eighth  da- 
of  May,  1839.  She  was  buried  in  a  small  Protestant  cemetery,  in  the 
environs  of  Naples,  about  a  mile  from  the  city.  la  reference  to  this 
lady,  the  doctor  says,  "  Rarely  endowed  with  the  talent  of  doing  good, 
and  communicating  happiness,  and  a  bright  example  of  the  conjugal 
virtues — patient,  indefatigable,  inventive ;  full  of  cheerfulness  and  hope, 
and  courage  and  faith,  she  was  the  angel  of  my  sick-room,  who  watch- 
ed by  my  restless  pillow  night  and  day." 


STEPHEN    Oils.  391 

had  no  sooner  reached  the  land,"  says  the  doctor,  "than  a 
score  of"  donkeys,  and  their  drivers  rushed  towards  us  from  all 
quarters,  and  we  were  nearly  trampled  under  their  feet,  as 
well  as  stunned  with  loud  vociferations,  before  we  were  able, 
with  the  help  of  a  young  Irishman  connected  with  one  of  the 
hotels,  to  engage  as  many  of  these  indispensable  animals  as 
were  necessary  to  carry  us  through  the  narrow,  dirty  streets, 
to  the  quarter  of  the  city  inhabited  by  the  Franks,  Walking 
is  quite  out  of  the  question  with  all  who  have  any  objection 
to  being  covered  with  mud,  and  jostled  and  trodden  upon  by 
loaded  camels.  One  of  these  huge  animals  kneeled  down  upon 
the  beach,  alonside  our  boat,  and  waited  patiently  till  our 
baggage  was  piled  upon  his  back,  and  bound  with  ropes. 

"  We  then  set  off  for  our  hotel,  urging  our  way  through 
dense  crowds,  whose  strange  looks  and  costumes,  assured  us 
that  we  v/ere  at  length  among  a  race  of  men  unlike  anything 
we  had  seen  before.  We  passed  through  the  bazar,  w^hich  I 
perambulated  twice  more  in  the  course  of  the  day.  The  streets 
are  very  narrow,  and  appear  much  more  so,  from  projecting 
casements  on  either  side,  which  nearly  meet.  The  gloom  is 
increased  by  awnings  of  boards,  and  sometimes  of  palm  leaves, 
extending  across  the  street,  and  forming  a  kind  of  roof,  which 
excludes  the  rays  of  the  sun,  without,  however,  being  so  well 
constructed  as  to  shed  rain.  The  goods  arc  exhibited  in  stalls 
of  very  inconsiderable  dimensions,  open  in  front,  and  even  with 
the  street.  The  seller  commonly  sits  cross-legged  within  upon 
a  mat  or  carpet.  The  customer  does  not  enter  the  stall,  for 
which  there  is  not  sufficient  room,  but  stands  in  the  street 
while  he  examines  the  article  which  he  Avishes  to  purchase, 
aiid  negotiates  the  price.  When  not  engaged,  the  merchant 
commonly  has  a  long  pipe  in  his  mouth,  with  the  bowl  resting 
on  the  ground.  Clad  in  a  long  flowing  robe,  which  is  con- 
fined just  above  the  hips  with  a  broad,  silken  girdle,  of  the 
most  showy  colors,  his  head  adorned  with  a  huge  white  or 


392  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

scarlet  turban,  his  legs  uncovered  almost  to  the  knee,  his  feet 
also  bare,  or  in  red  or  yellow  slippers,  he  sits  listless  and  at 
ease.  He  makes  no  demonstrations  of  eagerness  to  sell  his 
wares  :  he  eyes  you  coldly — you  are  apt  to  think  contempt- 
uously, as  you  pass.  He  smokes  deliberately  and  incessantly, 
and  now  and  then  strokes  his  long  beard,  which  falls  down 
upon  his  bosom. 

"  An  endless  train  of  camels,  laden  with  immense  leathern 
bags  full  of  water,  building  materials,  sacks  of  flour,  barrels 
of  sugar,  and  everything,  which  in  other  regions  is  transported 
in  carts,  fills  the  narrow  street,  threatening  to  overturn  you 
and  your  diminutive  steed.  A  host  of  donkeys  and  their  dri- 
vers ;  women,  their  legs  bare  to  the  knee,  but  with  their  faces 
carefully  veiled ;  a  promiscuous  crowd  of  men  of  all  colors, 
and  all  costumes — gorgeous,  fantastic,  wretched,  many  of 
them  nearly  naked — with  their  loud  confused  din  of  outcries 
and  vociferations,  form  a  scene  that  is  quite  indescribable. 
One's  head  soon  grows  dizzy  with  the  strange  sights  and 
strange  sounds." 

We  must  leave  the  doctor's  description  of  the  city,  and  ac- 
company him  on  his  visit  to  the  Catacombs.  "  On  our  Avay, 
we  encountered  two  funeral  processions.  The  first  was  that 
of  a  small  child.  The  body,  in  this  instance,  was  deposited 
in  a  basket,  and  carried  upon  the  shoulders  by  a  man  who 
preceded  the  rest  of  the  company.  A  number  of  persons,  per- 
haps a  dozen,  men  and  women,  followed  in  rather  a  disorder- 
ly manner,  looking  about  with  the  utmost  unconcern,  but 
chanting  in  mournful  strains.  The  other  funeral  was  much 
more  numerously  attended.  The  body,  which  was  that  of  an 
adult  person,  was  carried  by  four  bearers  upon  a  bier.  There 
was  no  coffin,  none  being  used  in  burying  the  dead  in  this 
country ;  instead  of  which,  the  corpse  was  dressed  in  grave- 
clothes,  and  covered  with  a  large  shawl.  It  was  borne  head 
foremost.     A  number  of  shabby-looking  men  went  before  the 


STEPHEN    OLIN.  393 

bier  in  a  sort  of  straggling  procession,  chanting  as  they  ad- 
vanced. It  was  followed  by  a  train  of  perhaps  twenty  or 
thirty  women,  who  were  veiled  and  clothed  in  white.  Their 
dress  and  whole  appearance  were  poor  and  mean,  leaving  one 
to  conclude  that  the  profession  of  mourner,  to  which  they  be- 
longed, is  not  lucrative.  They  are  said  to  get  not  more  than 
one  piaster — less  than  five  cents  per  day.  They  sang  a  dirge 
in  very  melancholy  and  piercing  tones,  and  their  attitudes 
and  gesticulations  were  those  of  vehement  and  overpowering 
grief.  They  tore  their  loose  disordered  hair,  and  smote  their 
breasts  with  frantic  violence,  carefully  avoiding,  however,  the 
infliction  of  serious  injury,  by  staying  their  convulsive  hands 
before  they  quite  reached  the  head  or  bosom.  The  rending 
of  the  garments  was  done  with  similar  violence,  but  with  the 
same  harmless  results.  A  number  of  them  carried  in  their 
hands  blue  handkerchiefs,  or  strips  of  cloth,  which  they  alter- 
nately stretched  across  the  shoulders  or  back  of  the  neck,  and 
then  raised  with  both  hands  high  above  the  head,  jerking 
them  with  much  apparent  violence,  though  the  worthless  rags 
resisted  their  efforts,  and  received  no  damage. 

"  This  was  all  ludicrous  enough.  Another  exhibition, 
equally  characteristic  of  the  manners  of  the  country,  which 
we  met  with  in  the  same  excursion,  was  much  more  serious. 
We  were  stopped  by  a  large  crowd,  which  quite  filled  the 
street  near  one  of  the  public  warehouses.  I  heard  heavy 
blows,  followed  by  piercing  cries,  in  the  midst  of  the  throng 
of  rather  shabby-looking  people.  Urging  on  my  donkey  to  the 
spot,  1  saw  an  athletic  man  inflicting  merciless  blows  upon  a 
female,  with  a  heavy  stick.  She  cried  out  piteously,  but 
vv^ithout  any  efiect.  The  crowd  looked  on  with  interest,  and 
apparent  satisfaction,  and  no  one  attempted  to  interfere.  I 
inquired  of  the  young  Arab  whom  we  had  employed  as  a 
dragoman,  what  was  the  meaning  of  this  outrage.  He  an- 
swered with  an  air  of  great  indifierence,  in  his  bad  English  : 


394  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

•  It  is  an  Arab  man  licking  his  woman.'  I  asked  him  if  this 
was  a  common  practice.  He  answered,  '  Yes ;  the  wife  do 
bad,  and  the  Arab  lick  'em.'  I  afterward  learned  that  this 
sort  of  domestic  discipline,  is  universal  in  this  country.  No 
one  supposes  it  is  wrong,  or  that  the  conjugal  relation  can  ex- 
ist on  better  terms.  A  European  lady,  resident  in  Alexandria, 
who  happened  to  be  with  us  at  the  time,  informed  us  that  she 
had  lately  inquired  of  a  favorite  servant,  after  the  health  of 
his  wife  :  '  Very  well,'  he  said,  '  better  than  common  the  last 
two  days,'  since  he  had  given  her  a  good  flogging.  She  told 
him  that  Englishmen  did  not  whip  their  wives.  He  replied 
that  it  was  '  indispensable  to  whip  Arab  women,  otherwise 
their  husbands  could  not  live  with  them.'  " 

After  a  visit  to  Mohammed  Ah,  Dr.  Olin  began  to  make 
preparations  for  a  visit  to  Cairo  ;  and  after  a  rather  unpleas- 
ant voyage  on  the  Nile,  he  arrived  at  the  point  of  debarcation 
on  the  1st  of  January,  1840.  In  this  city  he  remained  three 
weeks,  busily  employed  in  visiting  the  various  objects  inter- 
esting to  the  traveller,  in  and  around  the  city.  On  the  7th, 
he  visited  the  celebrated  Pyramids  of  Ghizeh.  The  largest 
of  these,  the  doctor  describes  as  being  732  feet  square,  474 
feet  in  height,  and  covering  nearly  thirteen  acres  of  ground, 
and  being  composed  of  202  tiers  of  square  blocks  of  limestone, 
each  tier  varying  in  thickness  from  two  to  four  feet,  and  form- 
ing one  of  a  series  of  steps  from  the  bottom  to  the  top,  by 
which  persons  may  safely  ascend  to  the  area  of  about  thirty 
feet  square  on  the  summit  of  the  pyramid.  This  pyramid, 
called  the  Pyramid  of  Cheops,  is  supposed  to  have  been  built 
2123  B.C. 

Dr.  Olin  one  day  met  with  a  wedding  party,  in  the  streets 
of  Cairo,  which  he  thus  describes :  It  was  "  composed  of 
many  persons  mounted  on  donkeys  and  camels,  with  one  or 
two  elephants  in  the  cavalcade,  some  fantastically  dressed  in 
many  colors,  some  singing  or  playing  on  rustic  musical  instru- 


STErHEN  OLijr.  395 

ments,  some  seated  with  their  faces  towards  the  tails  of  their 
animals,  all  boisterous  and  reckless,  and  using  all  sorts  of 
waggish  and  comic  arts  to  amuse  the  rabble.  They  were 
followed  through  the  principal  streets  by  a  vast  multitude, 
that  completely  closed  up  the  way,  and  put  a  stop  to  all  pass- 
ing and  business.  Nobody  interfered  with  them,  and  they 
were  allowed  to  keep  up,  as  long  as  they  pleased,  a  scene  of 
uproar  and  confusion  which  in  any  other  part  of  the  world, 
would  have  been  put  down  at  once  by  the  police.  This  for- 
bearance on  the  part  of  the  public  authorities  from  interrupt- 
ing the  people  in  their  humble  enjoyments,  is  a  pleasing 
evidence  that  sentiments  of  kindness  may  be  felt  by  the  most 
tyrannical  rulers,  and  that  long-established  customs  may  se- 
cure some  trilling  immunities,  where  political  institutions 
afibrd  no  protection." 

Having  visited  all  the  curiosities  in,  and  around  Cairo,  the 
doctor  and  his  company  prepared  themselves  for  a  voyage  up 
the  Nile,  and  after  spending  some  ten  or  twelve  days  in  as- 
cending this  noted  stream,  and  observing  everything  worthy 
of  attention,  the  doctor  soon  found  himself  in  view  of  the 
monuments  of  ancient  Thebes,  at  which  place  he  spent  a 
number  of  weeks,  visiting  in  the  meanwhile,  the  Cataracts  of 
the  Nile  in  Upper  Egypt,  with  numerous  other  curiosities  of 
nature  and  art.  When  he  had  completed  his  observations  in 
Upper  Egypt,  he  descended  the  Nile  to  Cairo  again,  and  soon 
began  to  make  preparations  for  a  journey  across  the  desert, 
to  Jerusalem,  which  he  commenced  on  the  2d  day  of  March, 
in  company  Avith  a  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cooly,  and  an  English  gen- 
tleman by  the  name  of  Carrington,  together  with  four  other 
gentlemen,  who  afterward  joined  the  company.  The  cara- 
van consisted  of  about  thirty  camels,  and  nearly  as  many 
Bedouins  to  guide  and  take  care  of  them,  together  with  eight 
or  ten  servants— in  all  nearly  fifty  persons,  and  all  armed  to 
the  teeth  with  guns,  pistols,  swords,  knives,  &c.,  with  the  ex- 


396  LIVES    OF   EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

ception  of  the  doctor,  who  thought  it  full  as  safe  to  leave  all 
"  carnal  weapons"  behind.  He  had  three  camels  for  his  own 
personal  use,  and  the  conveyance  of  his  baggage  and  food  in 
the  desert.  As  an  indispensable  article,  he  was  obliged  to 
carry  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  gallons  of  water,  besides  a 
tent  and  other  articles  of  convenience. 

On  the  6th  of  March,  our  travellers  reached  Suez,  a  town 
of  fifteen  hundred,  or  two  thousand  inhabitants.  This  place 
was  peculiarly  interesting  to  the  doctor,  on  account  of  its 
being  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  locality  where  God  displayed 
his  miraculous  power  in  opening  a  way  through  the  Red  Sea, 
for  the  passage  of  the  children  of  Israel,  in  their  flight  from 
the  land  of  Egypt.  After  stopping  a  short  time  at  this  place, 
the  caravan  took  up  its  line  of  march  for  Mount  Sinai,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  which,  the  travellers  arrived  on  the  13th. 
When  they  arrived  in  sight  of  tlie  mountain,  the  doctor  ob- 
serves :  "  It  was  a  time  of  profound,  overwhelming  emotion. 
I  was  on  holy  ground,  and  for  the  time  seemed  one  of  the 
living  mass  of  millions  who,  three  thousand  years  ago,  stood 
upon  this  plain  full  of  trembling  and  awe,  with  their  faces 
turned  towards  the  frowning,  flaming  battlements,  where 
their  captain  had  gone  up  to  talk  with  the  Lord.  I  could  not 
withdraw  my  full  eyes  from  the  '  Mount  of  God' — the  holy 
place  where  the  Almighty  had  dwelt,  and  shown  his  glory ; 
nor  when  I  thought  of  the  circumstances  of  terror  and  majes- 
ty with  which  he  was  pleased  to  invest  his  transient  dwelling 
place,  could  I  fix  them  steadily  there." 

After  resting  in  the  convent  during  the  night,  Dr.  Olin  and 
a  companion  ascended  the  mountain,  described  by  the  resi- 
dent monks  as  the  true  Mount  Sinai  of  the  Scriptures.  The 
doctor  felt  convinced  that  the  monks  were  in  error  in  this  par- 
ticular, and  on  the  16th,  he  ascended  the  northern  summit, 
which  is  no  doubt  the  true  "Mount  of  God  ;"  and  when  on 
this  summit  of  Sinai,  he  reverentially  read  the  Decalogue^ 


STEPHEN    OLIN.  397 

which  was  llrst  promulgated  by  the  Almighty  on  that  spot, 
amidst  the  thunderings  and  lightnings  of  that  solemn  and  aw- 
ful occasion.  After  his  ascent  to  Mount  Sinai,  the  doctor 
visited  the  "Rock  of  Horeb,"  and  which  he  fully  believed  to 
be  the  one  smitten  by  Moses,  as  described  in  the  book  of 
Exodus. 

On  the  18th  of  March,  Dr.  Olin  resumed  his  journey  to- 
ward Palestine.  On  his  route  he  passed  "  Mount  Hor,"  and 
arriving  at  the  ruins  of  Petra  on  the  30th,  he  remained  for 
some  time  to  examine  the  ancient  remains  of  temples,  tombs, 
&c.  &c.  While  here,  he  was  greatly  annoyed  by  a  set  of 
savage  Bedouins,  whose  sole  business  appeared  to  be  to  tease 
and  annoy  the  traveller  by  attempting  to  extort  money  under 
the  pretence  of  acting  as  guides,  guards,  &c.  As  a  portion 
of  the  account  is  interesting  and  somewhat  amusing,  we  will 
give  it  in  the  doctor's  words. 

"  The  morning  after  my  arrival,  I  succeeded  in  reaching 
the  north  extreme  of  the  valley,  before  my  absence  was  dis- 
covered, but  1  soon  perceived  a  most  villainous  robber-looking 
man  approaching,  armed  with  a  long  knife  and  matchlock. 
As  I  was  quite  out  of  sight  of  the  camp,  I  reconnoitred  the 
savage  with  some  attention.  He  soon  attempted  to  make  his 
benevolent  object  known,  though  I  did  not  at  first  understand 
him,  nor  feel  very  sure  of  his  intentions  and  character,  as 
he  came  from  an  opposite  direction  to  that  of  our  camp.  In 
order  to  aid  me  in  comprehending  the  import  of  his  commu- 
nication, which  I  afterwards  learned  was  to  inform  me  that  I 
was  in  imminent  danger  without  a  guide,  he  drew  his  knife, 
and  went  through  all  the  forms  of  cutting  his  own  throat,  and 
then  raised  his  crazy  old  gun  to  his  lace,  pointing  it  directly 
at  me,  to  signify  that  I  was  as  likely  to  be  shot  as  butchered. 
I  made  him  comprehend  as  well  as  I  could,  that  I  had  no 
fears,  and  should  break  the  head  of  any  Arab,  who  might 
render  such  an  act  expedient.     He  continued  to  accompany 


398  LIVES    OF   EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

me,  a  measure  to  which,  as  I  could  not  possibly  prevent  it,  I 
at  last  consented. — I  took  care  for  some  time  to  keep  him  in 
advance,  and  always  in  my  eye. 

"  I  had  hardly  become  reconciled  to  such  company,  before 
a  second  man  made  his  appearance  with  similar  objects  and 
claims.  I  insisted  on  his  leaving  me  with  so  much  earnest- 
ness, that  he  at  last  stopped,  but  stood  for  some  minutes  as  if 
doubtful  whether  to  go  away,  or  stay  by  me.  I  made  him 
understand,  that  I  would  give  him  no  bucksheesh  though  he 
followed  me  all  day  ;  and  the  other  man  fearing  that  his  own 
pay  might  be  diminished,  aided  me  so  eflectually,  that  the 
warrior  at  length  left  us.  A  little  before  sunset  of  the  same 
day,  I  had  walked  from  the  camp,  to  examine  the  theatre 
not  far  distant  in  the  mouth  of  Wady  Syke ;  and  having  paid 
my  guide  for  the  day  and  dismissed  him,  was  alone.  Soon  I 
perceived  the  discarded  applicant  for  my  patronage  in  the 
morning,  coming  towards  me  accompanied  by  two  other  arm- 
ed Arabs.  He  at  first  urged  me  to  go  farther  into  the  gorge, 
which  I  of  course  declined.  He  then  demanded  bucksheesh 
for  having  guarded  me  through  the  northern  part  of  the  val- 
ley in  the  morning.  I  told  him  he  had  not  served  me,  and  I 
would  give  him  nothing.  He  spoke  to  his  companions,  and 
then  turned  again  to  me,  repeated  his  demand  with  much 
violence  of  language  and  gesture,  all  three  at  the  same  time 
advancing  towards  me  with  a  threatening  aspect.  I  had  not 
so  much  as  a  stick  for  defence  ;  but  I  answered  sternly  and 
loudly,  at  the  same  time  walking  quiclily  towards  them,  and 
raising  my  hand  with  an  air,  from  which  they  might  infer 
that  my  bosom  was  full  of  deadly  weapons.  These  fellows 
take  it  for  granted,  that  all  Franks  are  well  armed,  and  they 
reverence  nothing  so  much  as  percussion  locks,  which,  indeed, 
are  dangerous  antagonists  to  their  crazy  matchlocks.  They 
retreated  precipitately  at  this  bravado,  and  left  me  to  my  oc- 
cupation." 


STEPHEN    OLIN.  399 

On  the  2d  of  April,  the  doctor  left  Petra.  Passing  Mount 
Hor,  where  Aaron  the  brother  of  Moses  died,  he  proceeded  to 
the  site  of  ancient  Carmel,  and  on  the  7th  reached  Hebron, 
where  after  making  a  short  stay,  he  proceeded  to  Bethlehem, 
the  birth-place  of  the  Saviour  of  the  w^orld,  and  on  the  9th 
entered  the  city  of  Jerusalem.  A  day  or  two  previously,  the 
doctor  had  received  a  severe  injury  in  his  back  by  a  fall  from 
his  camel,  and  when  he  arrived  at  Jerusalem,  he  was  scarce- 
ly able  to  support  himself.  He  proceeded  directly  to  the 
house  of  one  of  the  American  missionaries,  where  he  was  cor- 
dially received  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lannean,  who  at  once  recog- 
nized the  doctoi-,  and  called  him  by  name.  Here  the  doctor 
was  confined  to  his  bed  for  eight  days,  receiving  in  the  mean- 
time, all  the  care  and  attention  possible,  from  the  kind-heart- 
ed missionaries  of  the  Presbyterian  and  Episcopal  Churches, 
and  on  Good  Friday,  he  had  the  unspeakable  privilege  of  par- 
taking of  the  Lord's  Supper,  on  Mount  Zion,  there  being  a 
large  number  of  strangers  present  from  Great  Britain,  Ger- 
many, and  the  United  States,  together  with  the  resident 
Protestants  and  missionaries.  The  services  were  conducted 
principally  by  clergymen  of  the  English  Chinch,  Dr.  Olin  as- 
sisting in  the  same. 

After  gaining  sufficient  strength,  Dr.  Olin  began  his  work 
of  examining  all  that  is  interesting  in,  and  around  Jerusalem, 
and  on  the  20th  made  an  excursion  to  Jericho,  on  the  occa- 
sion of  an  annual  festival  which  is  held  for  the  purpose  of 
commemorating  the  baptism  of  Christ  in  the  River  Jordan. 
The  number  of  persons  encamped  before  Jericho  on  the  occa- 
sion, was  estimated  by  him  at  2500,  including  a  singular  va- 
riety of  languages  and  costumes.  There  were  Copts,  Greeks, 
Armenians,  Catholics,  and  Protestants,  from  almost  every 
Christian  nation  under  heaven,  the  most  of  them  pilgrims, 
who  had  assembled  for  the  purpose  of  engaging  in  the  cere- 
monies and  bathing  in  the  sacred  stream.     Having  visited 


400  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

the  Jordan,  our  traveller  turned  his  course  to  the  Dead  Sea, 
where  he  tested,  as  nearly  all  travellers  do,  the  buoyancy  of 
its  waters.  Having  satisfied  his  curiosity  thus  far,  he  return- 
ed again  to  Jerusalem. 

On  the  27th  of  April,  Dr.  Olin  and  company  bade  farewell 
to  the  Holy  City,  on  their  return  to  the  Mediterranean  ;  and 
after  passing  through  different  places  of  interest  and  note, 
worthy  the  attention  of  the  Christian  traveller,  they  arrived 
at  Beyrout  in  Syria.  After  leaving  the  latter  place,  they 
sailed  for  Smyrna,  where  they  arrived  safely  on  the  25th  of 
May,  but  where  before  landing,  they  were  condemned  to  a 
fifteen  days,  quarantine,  which  expiring  on  the  9th  of  June, 
they  immediately  took  passage  for  Constantinople.  Here  Dr. 
Olin  was  seized  with  a  fever,  which  confined  him  for  eight 
days,  part  of  the  time  in  a  miserable  filthy  hotel,  until  he  re- 
moved to  the  residence  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hamlin,  the  Ameri- 
can missionary,  where  he  experienced  all  possible  kindness 
and  attention,  and  vi'here  he  unexpectedly  met  as  the  wife 
of  Mr.  Hamlin,  a  young  lady,  with  whom  he  had  been  for- 
merly acquainted  in  Dorset,  Vermont,  a  few  miles  from  his  own 
native  town.  After  his  recovery,  he  spent  about  a  week  in 
Constantinople,  when  he  sailed  for  Vienna,  in  Austria,  passing 
through  the  Black  Sea,  and  up  the  river  Danube.  He  arriv- 
ed in  the  capital  of  the  Austrian  dominions  on  the  13th  of 
August  where  he  was  again  seized  with  a  raging  fever.  Here, 
too,  he  experienced  unremitting  attention,  from  the  mission- 
aries of  the  American  Board,  and  after  a  month's  confinement 
he  took  his  departure  for  Switzerland  ;  from  thence  to  Paris; 
and  crossing  the  Channel,  he  found  himself  in  London  ;  and 
after  spending  a  week  in  that  city,  he  was  again  prostrated 
by  sickness,  but  his  strength  again  rallied,  and  on  the  4tli 
of  October  he  sailed  for  Boston  in  the  steamer  Acadia,  when, 
after  a  rough,  but  otherwise  pleasant  and  short  passage,  he 
once  more  set  foot  on  the  shores  of  his  native  land. 


STEPHEN    OLIN.  401 

"We  have  thus  followed  Dr.  Olin  on  his  Eastern  tour,  and 
after  passing  through  many  dangers,  he  is  again  restored  to 
the  bosom  of  the  Church  of  his  choice,  and  by  that  Church  is 
received  with  open  arms  and  affectionate  sympathy,  after  an 
absence  of  over  three  years.  We  shall  now  lose  sight  of  him 
as  a  tourist  and  traveller,  and  trace  his  subsequent  career  as  a 
minister  and  teacher. 

As  his  health  was  still  poor,  he  thought  it  inadvisable  to  take 
up  his  residence  in  the  South  ;  consequently,  in  1842,  he  ac- 
cepted the  Presidency  of  the  Wesleyan  University,  in  Middle- 
town,  Conn.,  which  important  relation  he  retained  for  nine 
years,  until  the  close  of  life.     He  entered  upon  his  duties  with 
an  enlightened  zeal,  and  well  supplied  the  place  of  the  lament- 
ed Fisk,  in  that  important  institution.     Feeling  lonely  in  his 
widowhood,  he  was,  in   1843,  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Lynch,  the  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Judge  Lynch,  of  New  York 
city,  with  whom  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  pleasantly 
and  happily.     While  employed  as  President  of  the  University, 
he  did  not  content  himself  merely  with  going  through  the 
routine  of  duties  peculiar  to  his  station,  although  these  were 
sufficiently  onerous  and  burdensome,  but  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  travelling  extensively,  especially  in  the  Northern  and  Eas- 
tern States,  in  waking  up  the  minds  of  both  preachers  and 
people,  in  behalf  of  the  cause  of  education.     The  ministers  of 
the  various  Annual  Conferences,  patronizing  the  Middletown 
University,  will  long  remember  with  pleasure  and  gratitude, 
his  pious  efibrts  in  this  direction.     One  occasion  the  author 
especially  remembers,  when  the  doctor,  addressing  the  Black 
River  Conference,  in  reference  to  the  importance  of  the  Metho- 
dist Church  providing  the  means  of  education  for  the  young, 
exclaimed  in  substance,  "  Must  our  children  suffer,  because 
they  are  the  children  of  Methodist  parents  ?     Shall  our  son, 
doomed  to  ignorance  for  want  of  proper  facilities  to  acquire 
knowledge,  rise  up,  at  some  future  day,  and  exclaim,  with 

26 


402  LIVES    OF    EMINENT   MINISTERS. 

sorrow,  '  I  too  might  have  been  echicated,  hut, — ony  father 
was  a  Methodist  !'  " 

It  was  not  only  in  the  cause  of  education  that  Dr.  Olin, 
during  his  presidency,  exerted  himself,  but  the  Bible  cause,  the 
missionary  cause,  and  all  other  benevolent  enterprises  are 
greatly  indebted  to  his  tongue  and  pen,  for  an  advocacy  of 
their  respective  objects  and  claims.  Since  his  return  from  the 
East  also,  he  has  been  in  the  habit  of  using  his  pen.  His 
"Travels  in  the  East"  have  been  greatly  admired,  and  have 
met  with  extensive  circulation.  His  written  addresses  to  the 
students  and  graduates  of  the  University,  are  unequalled  in 
power  of  thought ;  and  no  doubt  many  a  young  man  has  been 
saved  to  the  Church  and  the  ministry,  by  a  perusal  of  the 
same.  It  is  understood  also,  that  he  has  left  a  large  number 
of  manuscripts  of  various  kinds,  which  will  no  doubt,  before 
long,  be  given  to  the  Christian  public. 

During  Dr.  Olin's  connection  with  the  University,  he  was 
subject  to  occasional  attacks  of  disease,  and  while  the  exer- 
cises of  the  commencement  in  1851  were  being  held,  he  was 
suddenly  prostrated  upon  the  bed  of  sickness.  During  his  ill- 
ness, a  promising  son  was  torn  away  from  the  embrace  of  his 
parents  by  death,  and  in  a  few  days  after,  the  noble  form  of 
the  father  became  cold  and  lifeless,  and  was  borne  away  to  the 
silence  of  the  tomb.  He  died  at  his  residence  in  Middletown, 
Conn.,  of  typhoid  fever,  on  the  16th  day  of  August,  1851.  in 
the  fifty-fourth  year  of  his  age,  and  twenty-seventh  of  his  min- 
istry. His  remains  were  interred  in  the  College  cemetery, 
near  those  of  the  lamented  Dr.  Fisk. 

Dr.  Olin's  death  produced  a  degree  of  sadness  throughout 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  not  only  in  the  bosom  of 
the  Methodist  Church,  where  he  was  best  known,  and  per- 
haps best  loved,  but  all  evangelical  Christians  seemed  to  feel 
that  the  universal  Church  had  sufiered  a  serious  and  irrepara- 
ble loss  in  the  death  of  this  truly  great  man  ;  and  even  the 


STEPHEN    OLIN.  403 

citizens  of  the  nation,  as  may  be  inferred  from  the  tone  of  the 
secular  press,  felt  that  one  of  nature's  choicest  specimens  of 
manhood  had  been  cut  down  in  the  midst  of  his  uscfuhiess. 

We  have  called  Dr.  Olin  a  great  man.  This  is  emphati- 
cally true  of  him  in  every  respect,  whether  we  view  him  as  a 
man,  a  citizen,  a  scholar,  a  Christian,  or  a  Christian  minister. 
He  was  a  self-made  man  ;  for  although  born  of  honorable  pa- 
rents, he  was  obliged  to  depend  upon  his  own  resources,  prin- 
cipally, for  all  the  knowledge  which  he  ever  acquired  ;  and 
when  we  take  into  consideration  his  continued  ill-health,  and 
his  frequent  attacks  of  disease,  is  it  not  wonderful  that  such  a 
man  should  have  accomplished  so  much  in  so  short  a  space  of 
time  ?  Dr.  Olin's  "  physical  and  mental  proportions  were 
alike  gigantic.  His  intellect  vi^as  of  that  imperial  rank  to 
which  but  few  of  the  sons  of  men  can  lay  claim.  At  once 
acute,  penetrating,  and  profound,  it  lacked  none  of  the  ele- 
ments of  true  mental  greatness.  We  have  known  many  men 
far  superior  to  him  in  acquired  learning;  biit  for  breadth  and 
comprehensiveness  of  range,  for  vigor  and  richness  of  thought, 
for  fertility  and  abundance  of  invention,  we  have  never  met 
his  equal.  The  great  things  that  he  did  in  preaching,  in  talk- 
ing, in  writing  for  the  last  thirty  years  of  his  life,  were  ac- 
complished rather  by  observation  and  thought,  than  by  read- 
ing or  study  ;  of  these  his  uncertain  health  made  him  incapa- 
ble. Yet  his  acquisitions  were  of  no  mean  order  ;  a  broad 
and  deep  foundation  had  been  laid  in  the  severe  studies  of  his 
youth  and  earlier  manhood  ;  and  he  had  a  wonderful  sort  of 
intuition,  if  such  it  may  be  called,  into  all  forms  of  human 
thought  and  knowledge.  His  judgment  was  so  profound  that 
on  all  subjects  of  an  ethical,  political,  or  religious  character, 
his  a  p;"zo/J  judgments  were  of  more  value  than  most  other 
men's  conclusions  on  the  largest  collection  of  facts  would  be. 

"  But  grand  as  was  Dr.  Olin's  intellectual  being,  his  moral 
life  was  still  grander.     So  overshadowing,  indeed,  was  its  ma- 


404  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

jesty,  that  we  can  hardly  contemplate  any  portion  of  his  na- 
ture apart  from  it.  The  whole  truth,  were  we  to  set  it  down 
as  our  eyes  see  it,  would  perhaps  .be  judged  by  those  who  did 
not  know  Dr.  Olin,  to  be  but  another  addition  to  the  fond  ex- 
aggerations of  friendship.  We  see  so  much  earthliness  in 
men — even  in  men  of  deservedly  high  name  and  station,  that 
it  is  hard  to  believe  in  a  life  free  from  this  base  alloy.  If  man 
can  be  free  from  it,  he  was.  He  walked  on  in  the  daily  path 
of  life,  spending  his  great  mind  in  the  service  of  the  humblest 
of  his  fellows,  more  cheerfully  than  if  he  had  been  serving 
kings — in  the  world,  working  for  the  world,  but  not  of  it. 
Presenting  in  himself  an  embodiment  of  the  loftiest  ideal  of 
human  purity  and  love,  it  was  the  efibrt  of  his  life  to  raise 
others  to  breathe  in  his  own  celestial  heights. 

"  Not  that  \\efelt  himself  to  be  thus  elevated.  The  crown- 
ing beauty  of  his  whole  nature  was  its  humility.  Severe  as 
was  his  virtue,  he  knew  too  well,  that  after  all,  it  was  not 
his  ever  to  know  or  think  himself  more  virtuous  than  others. 
And  so,  charity,  the  meek  attendant  of  humility,  was  ever  by 
his  side.  In  all  things  else  but  intellectual  and  moral  pride, 
he  would  have  been  a  fit  companion  for  those  great  spirits 
that  taught  of  old  in  the  Stoa,  or  discoursed  of  virtue  and 
beauty  in  the  groves  of  the  Academy.  He  had  their  supreme 
love  of  truth — he  had  their  profound  contempt  for  all  that  is 
low,  grovelling,  and  earthly, — but  he  had,  too,  what  they  had 
not :  a  clear  apprehension  of  the  relation  between  man  and 
his  Creator,  and  a  deep  sense  of  the  corruption  and  debase- 
ment of  humanity,  as  estranged  from  God.  And  the  basis  of 
his  high  morality  was  laid  in  pure  religion — in  an  humble 
and  total  self-consecration  to  the  service  of  God  his  Creator, 
and  in  a  most  ardent  love  of  Christ  his  Redeemer.  He  had 
but  one  aim  in  life — to  realize  a  high  degree  of  Christian  ho- 
liness, and  so  to  promote  Christ's  kingdom  upon  earth.  To 
this  point  all  his  studies  tended, — for  this,  all  his  intelleclual 


STEPHEN    OLIN.  405 

treasures  were  lavished, — for  this,  he  freely  spent  his  worldly 
goods, — to  this,  he  devoted  health,  and  strength,  and  life. 

"  The  highest  style  of  man,  is  that  which  combines  a  lov- 
ing heart  with  high  intellectual  and  moral  power.  A  more 
genial  and  affectionate  nature  than  Stephen  Olin's,  we  never 
knew.  His  religious  affections  overflowed  in  the  broadest 
Christian  sympathy  for  the  race  ;  while  upon  his  family  and 
friends,  he  lavished  a  wealth  of  love  which  few  men  are  en- 
dowed with.  His  social  life  was  all  affection  and  tenderness. 
His  friendship  I  0  how  pure,  and  deep,  and  ardent  it  was ! 
Could  we  unveil  the  inner  sanctuaiy  in  which  the  sacred 
things  of  love  and  friendship  are,  and  must  be,  guarded,  we 
could  show  many  a  treasure — all  the  fruit  of  his  overflowing 
heart.  With  his  friends  there  was  no  restraint  or  reserve 
His  whole  heart  was  poured  forth  in  the  gushing  flow  of  sym 
pathy.  He  delighted,  too,  in  all  the  manifestations  of  afiec- 
tion — '  in  the  detail  of  feeling — in  the  outward  and  visible 
signs  of  the  sacrament  within — to  count,  as  it  were,  the  very 
pulses  of  the  life  of  love.' 

"  With  such  qualities  of  mind  and  heart,  it  is  not  wonder- 
ful that  he  was  pre-eminent  as  a  preacher.  In  over-master- 
ing power  in  the  pulpit,  we  doubt  whether  living,  he  had  a 
rival,  or  dying,  has  left  his  like  among  men.  Nor  did  his 
power  consist  in  any  single  quality — in  force  of  reasoning,  or 
fire  of  imagination,  or  heat  of  declamation — but  in  all  com- 
bined. His  course  of  argument  was  always  clear  and  strong, 
yet  interfused  throughout  with  a  fervent  and  glowing  passion 
— the  two  inseparably  united  in  a  torrent  that  overwhelmed 
all  that  listened  to  him.     His  was  indeed,  the 

'  Seraphic  intellect  and  force, 
To  seize  and  throw  the  doubts  of  man ; 
Impassioned  logic  which  outran 
The  hearer,  in  its  fiery  course.'  "* 

*  Methodist  Quarterly  Review. 


406  LIVES    OF    KMINEST    MINISTERS. 

As  a  pulpit  orator,  Dr.  Oliu  had  indeed  few,  if  any  equals; 
the  few  sermons,  addresses,  speeches,  &c.,  which  the  author 
has   had   the   privilege   of  listening  to,  as   falling  from  the 
doctor's    hallowed   lips,  have   left  au   irresistible    impression 
upon  his  mind,  that  as  the  like  he  never  heard  before,  so  the 
like  he  will  never  hear  again  from  the  lips  of  mortal  man. 
Nor  is   the   author  alone,  in  forming  this  estimation  of  Dr. 
Olin  as  a  preacher — the  Rev.  Dr.  Wightman,  of  South  Caro- 
lina, in  speaking  of  a  number  of  sermons  which  he  had  heard 
Dr.  Olin  preach,  remarks  that  they  were  the  grandest  exhi- 
bitions of  intellectual  power  and  gracious  unction  which  were 
ever  witnessed  in  this,  or  any  other  country.     "  The  like," 
says  the  doctor,  "  we  despair  of  ever  hearing  again  on  earth. 
Even  then,  the  working  of  his  mighty  intellect  reminded  you 
of  a  steam-engine,  of  vast  power,  set  up  in  a  frail  frame-work, 
which  trembled  with  every  stroke  of  the  piston,  and  revolu- 
tion of  the  wheels.      The  whole  of  this  prodigious  movement 
was  pervaded  with  so  remarkable  a  simplicity  of  spirit,  and 
so  utter  an  absence  of  the  least  appearance  of  self-glorifica- 
tion ; — the  preacher  was  so  evidently,  so  thoroughly  absorbed 
in  his  subject,  so  swept  onward  by  a  resistless  desire  to  have 
the  Gospel  made  the  power  of  God   to  the  salvation  of  his 
hearers,  that  no  lingering  suspicion  ever  darkened  the  mind 
that  he  was  playing  the  orator.     You  would  as  soon  have 
looked  to  see  the  waters  of  the  Niagara  pause  to  dally  with 
the  wild  flowers  on  the  margin,  as  have  entertained  the  re- 
motest suspicion  that  Dr.  Olin  was  paying  the  least  attention 
to  the  rhetorical  fringes  of  his  sentences,  or  putting  himself, 
or  the  elaborate  composition  of  the  sermon  forward  as  an  ob- 
ject of  admiration.     Indeed,  you  had  time  for  nothing  but  to 
tremble,  while  he  unlocked  the  mysterious  chambers  of  the 
heart,  and  let  in  daylight  upon  your  dim  moral  perceptions  ; 
or  to  lay  hold  upon  Christ,  as  he  made  the  way  of  justifica- 


STEPHEX    OLIX.  407 

tion  by  faith  plain,  and  led  you  on  to  Jesus  the  Mediator  of 
the  new  Covenant,  and  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling,  in  a  path 
all  luminous  with  the  light  of  life  ;  or  to  exult  with  a 
believer's  bounding  joy,  while  he  pointed  out  the  massy  struc- 
ture of  your  Christianity — its  base,  durable  as  eternity — its 
capital,  high  as  heaven,  and  lost  in  the  splendors  of  God's 
throne.  Astonishing  was  the  effect  occasionally  produced  by 
his  preaching.  We  have  known  instances  of  clear  and  hap- 
py conversion,  while  he  was  delivering  a  sermon.  A  memo- 
rable instance  of  the  power  he  wielded,  occurred  in  one  of  the 
towns  of  Georgia.  His  text  was,  '  If  when  we  were  enemies, 
we  were  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  his  Son,  much 
more  being  reconciled  we  shall  be  saved  by  his  life.'  An  in- 
describable awe  seized  the  congregation  while  he  unfolded  the 
glorious  peculiarities  of  the  Christian  scheme  of  salvation,  and 
scores  literally  rushed  to  the  altar,  when  he  finished  the  dis- 
course." 

As  the  head  of  a  College  or  University,  President  Olin  was 
probably  unsurpassed  by  any  living  teacher.  He  was  a  man 
of  whom  his  students  and  fellow-professors  felt  justly  proud, 
not  so  much  because  of  his  greatness,  as  the  goodness  of  his 
heart,  and  the  undying  interest  he  felt  in  their  welfare,  both 
temporal  and  spiritual ;  and  so  greatly  Avas  he  beloved,  that 
Tery  few  cases  occurred  during  his  presidency,  either  South 
or  ISTorth,  requiring  the  exercise  of  severe  discipline.  He  was, 
in  fact,  a  father  to  his  students,  for  he  acted  a  father's  part 
in  counselling,  advising,  expostulating  with  a  degree  of  pathos 
and  fervency,  which  he  only  could  exhibit,  and  which  proved 
his  deep  anxiety  for  the  well-being  of  his  pupils.  During  his 
Presidency  of  the  Wesleyan  University,  a  glorious  revival  of 
religion  occurred  among  the  students,  which  spread  into  the 
town,  and  extended  to  different  denominations  and  churches  ; 
and  although  confined  a  portion  of  the  time  to  his  bed  of 


408  LIVES    OF    EMINENT    MINISTERS. 

sickness,  he  was  frequently  present  at  the  students'  class- 
meetings,  and  other  seasons  of  social  worship  But  we  must 
leave  the  subject,  praying  that  Stephen  Olin's  mantle  may 
fall  on  the  shoulders  of  some  of  his  surviving  brethren  or  sons 
in  the  Church  and  ministry. 


THE   END. 


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By  E.  D.  Mass.     ld,  witb  illustrations  and  maps,  muslin,  538  pp.,  12mo.    1  25 

LIFE  OF  I  lUIS  K(     UTH, 

Goven;or  of  HuLv'ary,  including  Notices  of  the  Men  and  Scenes  of  the 
Hungarian  Kerolution,  and  his  principal  Speeches,  by  P.  C.  Headley, 
mth  Introduction  by  Hoeace  Greelet,  steel  portrait,  muslin,  461  pp.  12mo.    1  25 

*LIFE  OF  DANIEL  BOONE, 

The  Pioneer  of  the  West,  by  W.  H.  Bogaet,  with  portrait  and  other  illus- 
trations, muslin,  12mo.,  (in  press) 1  25 

LIFE  OF  NAPOLEON  BONAPAETE, 

Emperor  of  France,  by  J.  G.  Lockhakt,  steel  portrait,  muslin,  392  pp.  12mo.    1  25 
The  Same — muslin,  gilt  edges  and  full  gilt  sides, 2  25 

*LIFE  OF  THE  EMPEESS  JOSEPHINE, 

First  Wife  of  Napoleon,  by  P.  C.  Headlet,  with  portrait  on  steel,  muslin, 

883  pp.,  12mo 1  25 

The  Same — muslin,  gilt  edges  and  full  gilt  sides, 2  25 

♦  LIFE  OF  MAEY  QUEEN  OF  SCOTS, 

By  P.  C.  Headlet,  porti-ait  on  steel,  muslin,  443  pp.,  12mo 1  25 

LIFE  OF  REV.  ADONTRAM  JIIDSON, 

Of  the  Burin  an  Mission,  by  J.  Clement,  steel  portrait,  muslin,  336  pp.  12mo.    1  00 
The  Same — muslin,  gUt  edges  and  full  gUt  sides, 2  00 

LIVES  OF  THE  THREE  MRS.  JTJBSONS, 

By  Aeabella  M  Willson,  2  portraits  on  steal,  mioslin,  866  pp.,  12mo.,  . .    1  25 
The  Same — ^muslin,  gilt  edges  and  full  gilt  sides, 2  00 

LIVES  OF  KARY  AND  MARTHA  WASHINGTON, 

Mother  and  Wife  of  George  Washington,  by  Maegaeet  C.  Coseling, 

portrait  on  steel,  muslin,  248  pp.,  16mo 84 

The  Same — ^muslin,  gilt  edges  and  full  gilt  sides, • 1  50 

LIFE  OF  LADY  JANE  GREY, 

By  D.  W.  Baetlett,  portrait  on  steel,  muslin,  298  pp.,  16mo.  1  00 

The  Same — muslin,  gilt  edges  and  full  gilt  sides, 1  75 

LIFE  OF  JOAN  OF  ARC, 

The  Maid  of  Orleans,  by  D.  W.  Baetlett,  portrait  on  steel,  221  pp.  16mo.       84 

GENERALS  OF  THE  LAST  "WAR 

With  Great  Britain,  with  portraits  of  Generals  Jackson,  Brown^  Macomb, 
Scott,  Hanison  and  Gaines,  by  Jons  S.  Jenkins,  muslin,  407. i^.',  12mo.,.    1  26 

LIVEO  OF  EMINENT  METHODIST  MINISTERS, 

Containing  Biographical  Sketches,  Incidents,  Anecdotes,  Itecords  of  Travel, 
&c.,  by  Eev.  P.  Douglass  Gokeie,  with  Portraits  of  Eev.  John  Wesley, 
Ilev.  J.  W.  Fletcher,  Eev.  Eichard  Watson,  Eev.  John  Emo^,  Eev.  Ste- 
phen Olin  ;  muslin,  40?  pp.,  12mo 1  25 


THE  Ur>r^AVY 

,   .  ^^  FORNU 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBKAHY  hAblLi  i  y 


AA    000  701  451     7 


/»' 


